EVANSTON, Ill. (March 23, 2019) – Rutgers softball (15-14) dropped both ends of a Saturday doubleheader at Northwestern (22-6) by scores of 5-3 and 9-1, as the Wildcats swept the three-game Big Ten series at Drysdale Field.

LATE PUSH SENDS CATS TO 5-3 WIN

QUICK PITCH

• Aleah Marra and Erin Collins provided Rutgers with a 3-1 lead midway through the fifth inning, but Northwestern scored four unanswered runs, including three in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back home runs. Corah Price was effective as Rutgers' starter, striking out three without any walks in her Big Ten debut.

STANDOUT STATS

• Anyssa Iliopoulos added a double and walked twice, while scoring a run.
• Collins and Katie Wingert added hits for the Scarlet Knights.

THE RUNDOWN

• Rutgers scored first as Marra doubled home Iliopoulos and Wingert in the top of the third. Those three Scarlet Knights strung together three straight hits with Iliopoulos and Marra getting extra bases for the 2-0 lead.
• The Wildcats got one back in the home half of the third, sneaking an RBI bunt single past the RU defense.
• With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fifth, Collins put a ball in play and reached on an error as Christine Malito scored as a pinch runner for a 3-1 advantage.
• Northwestern again had an answer in the home half, getting an unearned run following a three-base Rutgers fielding error. The Wildcats had a two-run homer and a solo shot in consecutive at-bats in the sixth to take its 5-3 lead.

RUTGERS SCORES IN THE 1^ST, BUT ONE-HIT FOR REMAINDER IN 9-1 SETBACK

QUICK PITCH

• The Scarlet Knights scored in the first inning for the ninth time in the last 13 games, but Jess Hughes' leadoff triple and Wingert's ensuing sacrifice fly would be the only offense Rutgers would muster against Megan Williams, who allowed one hit and a hit by pitch through five innings.

STANDOUT STATS

• Hughes' triple was the eighth of her career and Rutgers' third of the season.
• Wingert took the team lead with her 26^th RBI.

THE RUNDOWN

• Northwestern faced four Rutgers pitchers and scored at least a run in the bottom half of each inning, invoking the eight-run rule in the bottom of the fourth leading 9-1.

UP NEXT
Rutgers heads to Piscataway to open its home slate against Fordham on Wednesday, March 27 at 3 p.m. at the RU Softball Complex before hosting No. 25 Michigan for a Big Ten series March 29-31.
 
 
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers softball, follow the program on Twitter (@RUSoftball) and Instagram (@ru_softball). The team is also on Facebook (facebook.com/RutgersSB). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
- RU -