BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 11, 2018) – Rutgers softball wrapped a successful run in the Parents' Weekend Tournament at Florida Atlantic with a Sunday sweep of Texas-El Paso, 7-2, and LIU Brooklyn, 4-1.
 
The Scarlet Knights (12-11) used a six-run first inning to top UTEP (10-13), while a dominant pitching performance by sophomore Cambria Keefer and more early hitting was good enough to down LIU Brooklyn (7-15).
 
Junior shortstop Jess Hughes had multiple hits in each game, running her total for the season to four, and finished the day 4-for-8 with two runs and an RBI. Freshman left fielder Madyson Cole enjoyed her most productive day as a young Scarlet Knights with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate, including a three-RBI performance in the victory over UTEP.
 
Starting pitchers Whitney Jones and Keefer each won their fifth games of the season in the circle as Jones allowed one run in six innings against UTEP, and Keefer surrendered just three hits in her complete game victory over LIU.
 
SIX-RUN OPENER PACES RUTGERS PAST MINERS
Senior first baseman Rebecca Hall started the rally with a leadoff single, the first of five hits in the opening frame. Sophomore right fielder Nicole Bowman gave Rutgers the all-important first runs of the game with a two-run single, followed by freshman designated player Erin Collins's RBI while reaching on an error.
 
Sophomore center fielder Hailey Hoklotubbe added an RBI single before Cole ripped a single to the right center field gap to cement her first collegiate multi-RBI contest, scoring Collins and Hoklotubbe for the 6-0 lead.
 
Cole tacked on a seventh run in the fourth inning with a sac fly as Jones kept the sheet clean into the fifth, when the Miners struck for their first run. UTEP added a home run in the seventh against freshman reliever Taylor Manno, who got the game's final three outs, including a strikeout as a finale.
 
EARLY OFFENSE ENOUGH FOR KEEFER'S GEM AGAINST BLACKBIRDS
The Scarlet Knights are now 10-2 when scoring the first run of the game, and that came off the bat of Hughes in the victory over LIU on Sunday. Hall and Hughes went back-to-back with extra bases to start the game on Hall's sixth triple of the year followed by Hughes' RBI double for the 1-0 advantage.
 
Senior catcher Sierra Maddox produced the eventual game-winner in the third inning on a clutch, two-out single to plate Hall and Hughes, who again opened the inning with consecutive base hits.
 
Up 3-0 in the seventh, freshman second baseman Myah Moy bought some insurance with an RBI single. Keefer, meanwhile, was cruising through the Blackbirds with just six baserunners allowed in her complete game win. She struck out four, and missed the shutout as Nereyda Gutierrez took her deep to lead off the final frame. Keefer responded with a strikeout and two lazy flyouts to clinch the Sunday sweep.
 
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights remain in Boca Raton until a game at Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, March 14 at 6 p.m. Rutgers then heads to Macon, Georgia for Mercer's Bear Classic from March  16-18.
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• The national leaders in turning double plays, Rutgers recorded two more in the win against UTEP.
• Myah Moy has a five-game hitting streak after recording a hit in each game of the Parents' Weekend Tournament at FAU.
• Rutgers is now 10-2 when scoring a game's first run, and 9-0 when scoring six-plus runs in a game.
• Rebecca Hall's six triples this season are tied for the fifth most in a single campaign all-time at RU. The school record was set at 10 by Juliette Brooks in 1996.
• With three hits, Hall moves into sixth place all-time at Rutgers with 189 career hits, surpassing Mandy Craig (2008-11) in the process.
• RU is 10-0 when leading after four innings.

 
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