PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 29, 2019) – Rutgers softball (16-15, 0-4) suffered a 10-2 setback in five innings against No. 23 Michigan (21-10, 4-0) in its Big Ten home opener on a damp Friday afternoon at the RU Softball Complex.
 
With more rain in the forecast for Sunday, the teams will finish its three-game series on Saturday, March 30 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. There will be no game on Sunday.
 
QUICK PITCH

• Senior shortstop Jess Hughes ended Michigan pitcher Meghan Beaubien's streak of 32.1 scoreless innings with a home run in the third inning, but the solo shot against the 2018 All-American and reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week was not enough to overcome the Wolverine's offense on Friday.

STANDOUT STATS

• Hughes and freshman second baseman Aleah Marra each broke through for two hits apiece against Beaubien, who has allowed just a .190 batting average against this season. Hughes also stole a base and came around to score in the fifth.
• Freshman catcher Katie Wingert, junior third baseman Anyssa Iliopoulos and senior center fielder Nicolette Anico added base hits for the Scarlet Knights, with Iliopoulos' hot shot past the third baseman scoring Hughes after she stole second.

TONS of homeruns in this contest between @umichsoftball and @RUSoftball as the Wolverines defeat the Scarlet Knights 10-2!

Check out the top plays below!

via @BTNStudentU pic.twitter.com/raZLz7Nf6B

— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) March 29, 2019

THE RUNDOWN

• Michigan's lead came early on a three-run home run in the first before adding another three in the third for a 6-0 lead.
• Hughes' sixth home run of the season put Rutgers on the board in the home half of the third as the senior lined the ball well over the right-center field fence for her fifth RBI over a two-game span.
• Two more Michigan runs in the fourth and a two-run homer in the fifth invoked the run-rule in the fifth, putting Rutgers' backs to the wall. The Scarlet Knights fought back with Hughes' infield single and a stolen base to get into scoring position for Iliopoulos, who rocketed a grounder through the wickets at third base to plate Hughes. Beaubien coaxed a popup to end the rally and complete her five-inning victory to move to 12-3 on the year.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers defense did not commit an error for the first time in four Big Ten games this season.
• Hughes has a three-game hitting streak and four-game streak of reaching base safely.
• Hughes recorded her team-leading 12^th multi-hit game of the season.

 
 
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