MACON, Ga. (Feb. 10, 2019) – Rutgers softball is heading home winners of three straight and with 13 home runs on the season stat sheet following Sunday's 12-4 victory against Army in the finale of the Mercer Invitational.
The Scarlet Knights (3-2) had home runs from four different players to race ahead of the Black Knights (2-3) in support of senior pitcher
Whitney Jones, who earned the win in the circle with four innings in relief with no earned runs.
"It was a great opening weekend, and I'm very happy with the response from the first day," said head coach
Kristen Butler. "Today we had to come from behind. We struggled for a few innings adjusting to the pitcher, but chipped away and made adjustments. We found what worked and knocked the pitcher out of the game. We're happy with the growth of our hitters throughout the weekend with attention to game plans and their approach to the plate."
STANDOUT STATS
- Senior shortstop Jess Hughes hit a pair of two-run home runs in consecutive at-bats, part of a 3-for-4 day with four RBIs and four runs scored.
- Sophomore left fielder Erin Collins batted 3-for-3 with one of Rutgers' four homers to go with two singles.
- Sophomore third baseman Myah Moy hit her first round-tripper of the year and added an RBI groundout.
- Freshman second baseman Aleah Marra smashed her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to start the game's scoring in the top of the first.
THE RUNDOWN
- Following Marra's two-run blast, Army tied it in the bottom of the first and took a 3-2 lead in the third on a solo home run.
- Rutgers scored the game's next 10 runs, sparked by Collins' solo job in the top of the fourth to tie the game.
- The Scarlet Knights used some small ball to push three across in the fifth with freshman catcher Katie Wingert's RBI fielder's choice, junior Anyssa Iliopoulos' RBI groundout and pinch runner Adriana Burcar scoring on a wild pitch for a 6-3 lead.
- That was enough small ball for Rutgers. The big bats came back in the sixth with Moy's tater and the first of Hughes' homers. Moy added an RBI on a grounder in the seventh before Hughes' second two-run home run of the game.
- Meanwhile in the circle, Jones entered in the bottom of the fourth with the game tied. She allowed just two hits and two walks over her four innings of work as her offense took care of the rest.
- BUTLER: "Whit embodied the bounce-back mentality from the opening game loss, and we needed that from one of senior leaders. She showed tremendous maturity to keep us in these games and pick up two important wins."
KNIGHT NOTES
- Eight different Scarlet Knights have a hit a home run this season.
- Rutgers didn't reach 13 team home runs until its 26th game on March 16 last season.
- Facing Army for the first time since 2010, Rutgers improved to 13-5 in the all-time series.
- Iliopoulos and senior center fielder Nicolette Anico have reached base safely in all five games.
- Anico (2-for-3, BB, 2 R) is also riding a team-high four-game hit streak – and is now two hits away from 100 for her career.
- Army managed just a .077 average (1-for-13) with runners in scoring positon against Jones and junior starter Cambria Keefer.
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights head to the Lone Star State from Feb. 15-17 for five games at the Texas A&M Invitational against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls – Liberty, McNeese State and the host Aggies.
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