PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 27, 2019) – Rutgers softball (16-14) scored in all five innings to win its 2019 home opener at the RU Softball Complex – a 10-2, run-rule victory over Fordham (9-18) on Wednesday afternoon.
 
QUICK PITCH

• Fordham opened the scoring in the top of the first, but the Scarlet Knights answered by scoring at least a run in all five innings of a run-rule shortened victory, powered by senior shortstop Jess Hughes' four RBIs and three more from junior third baseman Anyssa Iliopoulos. Hughes delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the fifth with two outs as her single to center scored a pair of runs.

BALLGAME! Jess Hughes gets career RBI No. 100 (and 101) as #RUSB walks off with the 10-2, run-rule victory over Fordham in five innings! pic.twitter.com/0gHkCLoDyy

— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) March 27, 2019

B1 | ILIOPOULOS HAS POP!

The junior goes yard for the 2-1 lead in the very first inning. pic.twitter.com/IpanUvy75M

— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) March 27, 2019

STANDOUT STATS

• Freshman starting pitcher Corah Price moved to 8-4 on the year with her complete-game effort, scattering five hits and two walks while allowing one earned run and striking out one.
• Hughes was 2-for-4 and surpassed 100 career RBIs with her four on Wednesday. She also hit her team-leading 11^th double of the year, and now sits at 101 career RBIs.
• Iliopoulos had a hit in all three of her at-bats with a two-run home run in the first to get Rutgers on the board, and an RBI single in the fourth.
• Spots 7-8-9 in the batting order all had at least a hit and a run scored apiece – senior center fielder Nicolette Anico (1-for-2, 2 runs), sophomore catcher Christine Malito (1-for-3, 1 run) and senior left fielder Adriana Burcar (1-for-2, 2 runs).

THE RUNDOWN

• Fordham went ahead 1-0 after a leadoff double came around to score on a passed ball.
• Iliopoulos' sixth home run of the year cleared the right-center field fence with two outs in the bottom of the first.
• Hughes had a pair of two-run hits, the first of which coming in the bottom of the second. Her deep fly to right hit off the wall and allowed Anico and Burcar to score for a 4-1 lead following their infield singles.
• Sophomore Madyson Cole added a sacrifice fly in the third before an error an RBI hits by freshman second baseman Aleah Marra and Iliopoulos made it 8-1 in the fourth.
• The Rams got one back in the top of the fifth, but Rutgers ended the game on Hughes' two-run single. Her clutch hit came after a Malito single and a perfect sacrifice by Burcar to place both runners in scoring position to end the contest.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers has scored in the first inning 15 times, and in 10 of the last 14 games.
• Rutgers improves to 12-1 when scoring six or more runs.
• The Scarlet Knights cut Fordham's all-time lead in the series to 5-4 and disrupted a five-game winning streak over Rutgers since 2012.
• Hughes, who transferred from Fordham following her sophomore season, tallied 62 RBIs as a Ram before getting 39 with Rutgers to this point for her 101 career RBIs.
• Iliopoulos took back the team lead in RBIs this season with 28.

UP NEXT
Rutgers hosts No. 23 Michigan in a three-game Big Ten Conference series from Friday through Sunday, March 29-31 at the RU Softball Complex, with Friday's opener set for 3 p.m.
 
 
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 -