Softball Set For Pirate Invitational in Virginia

Friday, March 2

Hampton, Va.

9:45 AM

Rutgers University

Maryland Eastern Shore

Softball Set For Pirate Invitational in Virginia

Mar 01 | Softball

Game Notes

Scarlet Knights will play five games in three days at Hampton University

HAMPTON, Va. (March 1, 2018) - Rutgers softball heads back South for five games in three days at the Pirate Invitational hosted by Hampton University in Virginia from March 2-4. The Scarlet Knights will face the host Pirates twice, with two slated against North Dakota and one opposite Maryland-Eastern Shore.

THE SLATE \| All Times Eastern
Fri. 3/2	vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore	9 a.m.
Fri. 3/2	at Hampton	1 p.m.
Sat. 3/3	vs. North Dakota	11 a.m.
Sat. 3/3	at Hampton	3 p.m.
Sun. 3/4	vs. North Dakota	10 a.m.

FOLLOW LIVE
Links for live stats: bit.ly/2o1zokY
Twitter | Instagram

HEAD-TO-HEAD

KNIGHT NOTES
• Senior first baseman Rebecca Hall reprised her role as Rutgers' top hitter with a hot start to 2018. She hit .467 in four games at Kennesaw State's Bobbie Bailey Memorial Tournament last weekend with a slugging percentage of .933 via two triples and the third home run of her season. She continues to climb up the RU record books, now ranking fourth in program history with 113 RBIs and sixth with six career triples.
   33 | RBIs needed for Hall to set a new program career record
   2 | Hall hits needed to crack the all-time Top 10 at RU
   14 | Hall doubles needed to set program career record

• Sophomore starting pitcher Cambria Keefer has won her last two starts, picking up the first complete game shutout of her career against Kennesaw State on Friday with four strikeouts. She earned the first win of her collegiate career with impeccable control in the 4-3 victory over Houston in Mexico. She completed the extra-inning contest with eight innings of work, two earned runs, and didn't issue a single walk, hit batter or wild pitch while facing 35 batters in 102 pitches.

• Freshman designated player Erin Collins is making a memorable collegiate debut. The rookie drew a walk in her first career appearance pinch hitting against UC-Riverside, then cracked a pinch-hit, two-out grand slam in her first official collegiate at-bat in the top of the seventh against Cal State Fullerton. It was Rutgers' first grand slam since April 28, 2015. The rookie is ranked second on the team with a .310 average and a .429 on-base percentage. She reached base safely in 11 straight games to start her career as a Scarlet Knight.

• RU underclassmen (Fr. & So.) have accounted for 40 of 73 hits (55%) thus far in 2018, led by nine hits apiece from freshmen Erin Collins and Myah Moy.

TRENDING
• The Scarlet Knights have turned 10 double plays in their first 13 games, and their 0.77 DP's/game mark ranks ninth in the NCAA and first in the B1G over that span.
• Erin Collins reached base safely in each of the first 11 games to start her career.
• Rebecca Hall has five of Rutgers' 10 multi-hit games this season.
• Rutgers is 10-for-12 in stolen base attempts.
• The Scarlet Knights are 4-0 when scoring first, and 1-8 when the opponent does.
• Three of Rutgers' five wins have been in come-from-behind fashion when trailing after five innings.
• Rutgers has hit a home run in 4-of-5 wins.

HALL OF GAME
Rebecca Hall was named to the 2017 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I All-Great Lakes Region First Team following her breakout junior season.

The momentum has rolled into 2018. Hall moved up the RU record book in a few categories. With 13 RBIs, she now ranks fourth with 113 career ribbies. Her three doubles have her tied for sixth all-time with 38, and her three triples moved her into sixth place with six career three-baggers.

She matched a career high with nine total bases against Florida A&M, finishing a double shy of the cycle and hitting a triple and home run in back-to-back at-bats. She slugged .933 at the Kennesaw State tournament with four RBIs.

HUGHES COMES HOME
Junior and Sewell, New Jersey native Jess Hughes transferred in from Fordham and earned the starting nod at shortstop. Hughes set a Fordham record for OBP (.510) in 2017. She hit .370 for the Rams with 12 doubles, six triples, 11 home runs and 41 RBIs en route to NFCA All-Region, All-ECAC and All-Atlantic 10 honors. She ranked 15th in the nation with 0.87 walks per game and 18th with six triples.

RUTGERS RECRUITS
Jay Nelson welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad in 2018, including nine first-years.

Christine Malito made the most of her first collegiate hit. With Rutgers down to their final outs in the top of the seventh and trailing 1-0 to Houston, Malito's first career hit went down as an RBI single up the middle to tie the game. She also recorded two putouts and an assist in her first career start, which ended in a 4-3 victory for the Scarlet Knights.

Myah Moy's impact during fall ball and preseason camp earned the freshman a starting spot at second base. Hailing from Bradenton, Florida, Moy has been named All-County in each of the last four seasons while hitting over .500 and driving in 73 RBIs over her last two years. Moy recorded a fantastic fielding percentage of .976 during her senior season.

BOWMAN BREAKS OUT
Nicole Bowman was named to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team by batting 5-for-11 with a walk, including a 2-for-2 mark in the win over Houston. The sophomore accounted for 39 of Rutgers' 97 hits by rookies last year. Bowman slashed .275/.393/.437 as a freshman with three home runs, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs.

She has now hit in eight of her last 10 games, hitting .321 over that span.

GREECE LIGHTNING
Sophomore Anyssa Iliopoulos was chosen to play for the Greek National Team at the European Softball Championships from June 25 to July 1, 2017 in Bollate, Italy.

The Greek National Team finished sixth out of 23 countries, the highest finish for the squad since 2004. The team picked up wins over Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden. Iliopoulos was a prime factor in the result, posting a team-leading .419 batting average in 11 starts at third base. She also added team highs with 13 hits, 11 RBIs, two doubles, two triples and a home run.

UP NEXT
Rutgers embarks on a 10-day Spring Break trip beginning with the Parents' Weekend Tournament at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton on March 9-11. The Scarlet Knights will face Stony Brook, Texas El-Paso and LIU Brooklyn for the first time this season, while getting rematches against Pittsburgh and Florida A&M.

Rutgers will remain in Boca Raton for a game against Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, March 14 before heading North to Macon, Georgia for the Bear Classic at Mercer from March 16-18.