PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 21, 2018) – Rutgers softball took a 5-3 lead into the seventh inning against Northwestern in Game 2 of a three-game Big Ten set on Saturday at the RU Softball Complex, but the Wildcats (28-13, 10-5 B1G) scored seven unanswered runs in the final frame to claim a 10-5 victory.
 
The Scarlet Knights (17-25, 2-11) were fueled by standout performances by underclassmen as freshman second baseman Myah Moy rocked her third home run of the year and totaled three RBIs in the setback. Moy joined sophomores Hailey Hoklotubbe and Nicole Bowman in the multi-hit department, as the two outfielders each had two hits and an RBI. Freshman Taylor Manno made her first career start in the circle, surrendering five hits and four walks for three runs in 4.2 innings of work.
 
Down 1-0 in the first, RU jumped ahead on two hits and a walk as Moy and Bowman notched RBIs and chased the Wildcat starting pitcher from the game before she recorded an out. Friday's winning pitcher, Kenna Wilkey, took over and escaped the inning before eventually throwing all seven innings for the win.
 
Northwestern tied the game in the second and went ahead 3-2 in the third. Rutgers reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a four-hit rally sparked by junior shortstop Jess Hughes' one-out single and a stolen base. The swipe was important as Hughes scored on Hoklotubbe's ensuing hard-hit single to center field. They all would have come home anyway on the next at-bat as Moy planted her third career home run onto the hill over the left field fence.
 
Faced with its final three outs, Northwestern completed the comeback and added plenty of insurance with two hit by pitch, three walks, four hits and an error. Four of the seven runs were unearned against Rutgers pitching.
 
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights and Wildcats conclude the series on Sunday, April 22 at noon from the RU Softball Complex.
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• Hoklotubbe extended her career-long streak of games reaching base safely to 12. She is hitting .324 over that span with a .395 on-base percentage, six RBIs and eight runs scored.
• After her 16-game hit streak was snapped, Hughes has now hit in three straight to increase her batting average in 13 Big Ten games to .412, with an on-base percentage of .583. The average ranks 10^th in the Big Ten, while the OBP comes in at fourth.
• Northwestern leads the all-time series 3-0, and 2-0 in the Big Ten.

 
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