PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 1, 2018) – Rutgers softball dropped the Big Ten series finale to Penn State, 7-3, on Easter Sunday at the RU Softball Complex. The Scarlet Knights (17-16, 2-2 B1G) claimed a Big Ten series victory over the Nittany Lions (6-23, 2-4 B1G) for the first time.
 
Junior shortstop Jess Hughes stretched her career-long hit streak to 14 straight games with a game-tying RBI single in the second inning and finished 1-for-3 with a walk. Sophomore Hailey Hoklotubbe picked up a hit in each game of the Penn State series, adding an RBI double on Sunday to give her four RBIs in her last five contests.
 
Penn State drew first blood in the opening frame with a booming solo home run off the bat of Tori Dubois, who ended the series with three homers. PSU made it 2-0 with some small ball in the second, scoring on a bunt single with a close play at the plate.
 
Rutgers tied the game in the bottom of the second on Hoklotubbe's double, and Hughes' single up the middle.
 
Penn State pounced on Rutgers pitching in a four-run fourth inning to go ahead 6-2, but all but one of the runs were unearned due to an early dropped fly ball in the outfield. The Nittany Lions made RU pay for the miscue with four hits.
 
PSU tacked on their final run of the series on another solo home run in the sixth before Rutgers got one back on senior second baseman Meaghan Wells' sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the frame. Wells got the RBI following hits by freshman second baseman Myah Moy, sophomore right fielder Nicole Bowman and freshman designated player Erin Collins.
 
Penn State starter Jessica Cummings completed the game with a 1-2-3 in the seventh inning.
 
Despite snow and rain in this week's forecast, Rutgers is preparing for a home game against St. Joseph's on Wednesday, April 4 at 4 p.m. at the RU Softball Complex. Stay tuned to @RUSoftball on twitter and ScarletKnights.com for all schedule updates.
 
 
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