PISCATAWAY, N.J. (May 4, 2019) – Rutgers softball (28-23, 11-12) clobbered 10 home runs during a weekend Big Ten series victory over Michigan State (16-34, 4-18), setting the new school record for home runs in a season at 53 and counting.
 
The Scarlet Knights clinched the series with a 7-3 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader before falling 10-9 in Game 2. At 11-12 in the Big Ten, Rutgers ties its most wins in the conference and will get the No. 6 seed if Indiana loses to Penn State on Sunday, and the No. 7 seed otherwise. The Big Ten Tournament begins with the opening round on Thursday, May 9 at Indiana.
 
Junior third baseman Anyssa Iliopoulos hit three home runs on Saturday, including two in the 7-3 victory while accounting for four RBIs. She hit her third in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 2, a three-run, game-tying shot to force extra innings.
 

RU KIDDING ME!?!

Anyssa Iliopoulos goes DEEP to give @RUSoftball life as she ties the game in the bottom of the 7th! pic.twitter.com/QJK6u8htJE

— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) May 4, 2019

Shortstop Jess Hughes celebrated her Senior Day with a two-homer game in the second contest, part of a 4-for-9, five-RBI doubleheader.

Here's the school-record setting 52nd home run of the season by Jess Hughes.

Anyssa Iliopoulos hit No. 53 shortly after. 53 and counting... pic.twitter.com/3p8kT7d0Uz

— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) May 4, 2019

Sophomore third baseman Myah Moy added a homer in the shootout in the second game.
 
In the 7-3 victory, Iliopoulos opened the scoring with a game-tying, two-run home run for a 2-2 score. Sophomore Erin Collins and Hughes hit RBI singles in the second inning for a 4-2 advantage Rutgers would not relinquish.
 
All of Rutgers' runs in the second game came via home run. Hughes had her third leadoff homer of the year to tie the game at 1-1 in the first. Moy's three-run homer cut Rutgers' lead to 5-4 in the second. Hughes' second jack of the game was a two-run shot to put the Scarlet Knights ahead 6-5. Finally, Iliopoulos' three-run blast tied the game at nines in the bottom of the seventh with no runs after Katie Wingert was hit by a pitch and Nicole Bowman walked.
 
Michigan State took the 10-9 lead in the top of the eighth and held on to hand Rutgers' its first extra-inning loss in six tries.
 
 
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