Softball Runs Win Streak to 5 With Twinbill Sweep of Iowa

Friday, April 19

Piscataway, NJ

11:00 AM

Rutgers University

21-19, 5-8

Iowa

16-23, 2-11

Iowa

Rutgers

Softball Runs Win Streak to 5 With Twinbill Sweep of Iowa

Apr 19 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

Scarlet Knights have their first five-game Big Ten winning streak since 2016

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 19, 2019) – Rutgers softball (22-19, 6-8) flashed the leather and rode two dazzling pitching performances to a Big Ten doubleheader sweep of Iowa (16-24, 2-12) by scores of 3-1 and 1-0 on Friday afternoon at the RU Softball Complex.

The Scarlet Knights post their first five-game Big Ten winning streak since beating Maryland twice and taking three against Indiana from April 20-24, 2016.

WINGERT'S EARLY DINGER STANDS UP IN GAME 1

QUICK PITCH

Freshman catcher Katie Wingert drilled the first pitch she saw in the opening game over the center field wall for a two-run home run, which was all freshman starting pitcher Corah Price needed thanks to her 12^th victory of the year in the circle. Sophomore Erin Collins added an RBI as Wingert, freshman second baseman Aleah Marra and junior right fielder Hailey Hoklotubbe all made diving stops in the field.

STANDOUT STATS

Wingert was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, a run and two RBIs.
Price allowed only three hits and walk in her seven innings of work with two strikeouts.
Collins' one hit in three at-bats went down as an RBI, while junior first baseman Nicole Bowman batted 1-for-2 with a run scored on Collins' base knock.

THE RUNDOWN

Wingert, Collins and the Scarlet Knights wasted little time, jumping on Iowa's Allison Doocy for three runs in the first, but that's all the offense would muster for the rest of the opening game.
In the top of the sixth, the Hawkeyes got the leadoff hitter on via error. Wingert quickly erased her with the glove by starting a double play with a diving catch out of her catching position on a bunted popup, quickly snapping a throw down to the first for the second out.
Following another Rutgers error in the seventh, and down to their final out, the Hawkeyes severed a ball into right-centerfield, where Hoklotubbe was sprinting to make the diving catch and end the game.

Katie Wingert putting the "catch" in "catcher" 😏#NCAASoftball #SCtop10
(via @RUSoftball)pic.twitter.com/7bixBHbqFZ
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) April 19, 2019

Check out the highlights from the first game of today's doubleheader between @RUSoftball and @iowasoftball!

Spoiler Alert: @Katie_wingert12 stole the show! pic.twitter.com/XbUKavl9HK
— BTN Student U (@BTNStudentU) April 19, 2019

JONES' FOURTH CAREER COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT COMES AT THE PERFECT TIME

QUICK PITCH

Senior starting pitcher Whitney Jones hurled her fourth career complete-game shutout in the best possible fashion – when her offense didn't provide a single RBI in the contest. Jones struck out a career-high six batters, scattering seven hits and two walks over her seven innings. Bowman's single in the first inning pushed Wingert to the third base, then she scored the game's only run on an Iowa wild pitch.

STANDOUT STATS

Bowman was 2-for-3, while Wingert walked twice to help her score the lone run of the game.
Senior centerfielder Nicolette Anico, Marra and Collins added hits for the Scarlet Knights. Anico and Collins also stole a base apiece.

THE RUNDOWN

Wingert walked with two outs in the bottom of the first and advanced to third on Bowman's base hit. With Marra at the dish, Iowa starter Sarah Lehman fired a high pitch off the catcher's mitt and to the backstop, allowing Wingert to score the fateful run.
With no run support, Jones struck out at least one in each the second, third and fourth innings to tie her career high of five strikeouts. She got her sixth to end the sixth inning with the tying run in scoring position.
Jones issued an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth before coaxing a lazy popup to the pitcher's circle, which Jones defended beautifully to preserve the clean sheet.
Jones sealed the deal in the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame on three popouts in the infield.

KNIGHT NOTES

Rutgers wins five straight Big Ten games for the first time since two at Maryland and three against Indiana at home from April 20-24, 2016.
Scoring in the first innings in both games today, Rutgers has now scored in the first inning 18 times this season and moves to 13-5 in those contests.
Rutgers improves to 5-5 in one-run games and 15-2 when leading after five innings.
Collins and Bowman each hit in both ends of the doubleheader sweep.
Wingert's Game 1 home run was the 14^th of the season, which is now tied atop the Big Ten.
Jones' four shutouts in her career now ties for eighth all-time in the Rutgers record book with Abbey Houston (2010-13) and Brielle Cosentino (2001-04).

UP NEXT
Rutgers and Iowa conclude the three-game Big Ten series on Sunday, April 21 at 12 noon.

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