EAST LANSING, Mich. (April 27, 2018) – Rutgers softball dropped a tight Big Ten series opener at Michigan State, 4-2, on Friday afternoon at Secchia Stadium.
 
The Scarlet Knights (17-28, 2-13) struck first, but the Spartans (19-24, 5-11) scored four runs in their final two innings and stranded Rutgers with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to secure a heart-pounding win.
 
Senior first baseman Rebecca Hall moved into second place all-time at Rutgers with 215 career hits with a 3-for-3 day and an RBI on Friday.
 
Savvy defense behind starter Whitney Jones kept the game scoreless in the first despite the Spartans getting a runner to third with just one out. On a full count pitch, senior third baseman Meaghan Wells fielded a chopper, pump faked to first and caught the baserunner on a 5-2-6 fielder's choice.
 
Jones went on to retire eight in a row into the third inning, where she worked around a two-out double and walk to post another scoreless frame.
 
Michigan starter Kristina Zalewski matched Jones scoreless first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Rutgers broke through as sophomore center fielder Hailey Hoklotubbe singled to lead off the inning, followed by Hall's second hit of the day and sophomore right fielder Nicole Bowman's RBI single. MSU kept it at 1-0 by throwing Hall out at the plate on the play.
 
The Spartans finally got to Jones in the bottom of the fifth. After a hit by pitch and walk to start the inning, an RBI double gave MSU its first lead, which was stretched to 3-1 following a successful double steal of second and home.
 
RU cut the lead in half on Hall's third hit of the day, and RBI single scoring junior shortstop Jess Hughes, who doubled to start the sixth.
 
After a Rutgers pitching change, Michigan State bought some insurance in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI double for the 4-2 advantage.

UP NEXT: Rutgers and Michigan State play Game 2 of the series on Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m.
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• With her hit in the first inning, Hall moved into second place all-time at Rutgers with 213 career hits and now only trails Carla Camino's 233 for the school record.
• Hoklotubbe extended two streaks on Friday; an eight-game hitting streak, and a stint of 15 straight reaching base safely. Both are career-long marks for the sophomore outfielder.
• MSU leads the all-time series 11-7 dating back to 1981, and even the Big Ten head-to-score to 5-5.

 
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