Softball Bounces Back with 7-5 Victory over Indiana

Saturday, March 25

Bloomington, Ind.

1:00 PM

Rutgers University

8-21, 0

Indiana

16-15, 0

Rutgers

Indiana

Softball Bounces Back with 7-5 Victory over Indiana

Mar 25 | Softball

Box Score

March 25, 2017

Final Stats

BLOOMINGTON, IND. – Behind two home runs and four RBIs for junior Sierra Maddox, the Rutgers softball team bounced back with a 7-5 victory to close the series at Indiana on Saturday afternoon.

Maddox led RU (8-21, 1-2 Big Ten) by matching her career bests in home runs (2) and RBIs (4). Classmate Rebecca Hall also added in a home run and two RBIs, while freshman Taryn Atlee recorded a career high four hits in the win. Senior Shayla Sweeney (7-6) claimed the victory in her seventh complete game of the year.

IU (16-15, 2-1 Big Ten) was led by Rebecca Blitz with two hits, while Erin Lehman added a team best two RBIs. Tara Trainer (8-8) suffered the loss for the Hoosiers.

Indiana notched a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on four hits. Sweeney then ended the frame with a strikeout, stranding a Hoosier on.

Following a scoreless second inning, Rutgers took the lead with five runs on five hits in the top of the third. Atlee led things off with a single followed by a two-out double from Hall to send her home. After an RBI-single for sophomore Nicolette Anico made it a one-run game, senior Carly Todd added a double to put two runners on. Maddox kept the momentum rolling by blasting a homer to left field for a 5-3 RU lead.

Sweeney backed up the offense with another 1-2-3 inning in the third. The right-hander then retired three of four batters at the plate in the fourth to keep the RU advantage unharmed.

The Scarlet Knights then extended their lead with two home runs in the top of the fifth. After Hall led off the frame with a long ball to right field, Maddox added her second two-out homer of the game to set RU's advantage at 7-3.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Indiana registered a run on an RU error to cut in the margin 7-4. Although the Hoosiers had the bases loaded, freshman Nicole Bowman snagged a line out to end frame and strand all runners on.

Although IU tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth, Sweeney notched a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to seal the win for RU.

UP NEXT
Rutgers embarks on the final week of a 34-game road swing to start the season. First the Scarlet Knights travel to Hofstra for a midweek, nonconference matchup on Wednesday, March 29. RU then visits Ohio State for a three-game series from March 31-April 2.

KNIGHT NOTES
-Rutgers registered three home runs in a single contest since notching two at Illinois on April 2, 2016.
-Sierra Maddox matched her career bests with two home runs and four RBIs. Maddox owns three homers on the season and 17 in her career.
-Rebecca Hall added her ninth home run of the season to move into a tie at fifth on Rutgers' all-time single-season charts. Hall has 19 career homers.
-Taryn Atlee reset her career high with four hits in the game. The rookie has posted 10 multi-hit games this season.
- Meaghan Wells notched a career-best two walks.

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