TAMPA, Fla. – The Rutgers softball team was edged in both contests in the opening day of play at the USF Tournament with a 6-1 setback in its third meeting of the year with Syracuse and a 2-0 loss to the host Bulls.

The Scarlet Knights fell to 6-10 on the season.

SYRACUSE 6, RUTGERS 1

STANDOUT STATS

• Graduate student shortstop Kiana Workman was 2-for-3 at the plate scoring the Scarlet Knight run in the bottom of the third.
• Freshman Ashley Hitchcock totaled 4.2 innings pitched with six strikeouts.

THE RUNDOWN

• Gabby Teran gave Syracuse an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo shot to left.
• Teran later walked in the third inning and stole second, beating out the tag, leading to Neil Casares-Maher to hit a RBI single to left to give the Orange a 2-0 lead.
• Rutgers added a run in the bottom of the inning. Kiana Workman remained at the plate on a dropped foul ball allowing the Scarlet Knight to reach on with a double down the left field line. She scored two batters later on a Taylor Fawcett chopper in front of the plate. Fawcett beat out the throw to first allowing her teammate round third and come home.
• A trio of doubles in the top of the fourth helped the Orange tack on three more runs for a 5-1 edge. Mia Cunnings opened with the extra base hit while Toni Martin and Paris Woods hit back-to-back doubles with one out to score a pair of runs. Later, Teran added her second RBI of the game off a single thru the right side.
• The Orange snuck in the game's final run in the top of the fifth on a passed ball.
• The bottom of the fifth saw Aleah Marra hit a two-out double to the right center warning track, but the sophomore Scarlet Knight was left on base.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Sophomore Aleah Marra hit her team-leading fifth double of the year and has registered an extra base hit in six games.
• Freshman right-hander Ashley Hitchcock logged her sixth game with five or more strikeouts.
• Freshman outfielder Taylor Fawcett collected her eighth RBI of the season.

USF 2, RUTGERS 0

STANDOUT STATS

• The Scarlet Knights had six hits – including two apiece by Aleah Marra and Aleeah Randazzo – against USF's Second Team All-American and Great Britain national team member Georgina Corrick.
• First baseman Gabrielle Callaway led the defense with seven putouts, followed by shortstop Kiana Workman with four.

 

THE RUNDOWN

• USF opened the game with a triple by leadoff Anamarie Bruni, but was denied the run on the next at-bat as she was tagged out at the plate on the throw from second baseman Aleah Marra. The Scarlet Knights also got out of jam with two outs and the bases loaded as Payton Lincavage got RU out of the half inning with the force at third.
• In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulls' Bethany Keen had to settle for a single after being inches from a home run to left hitting the top of the fence. Two batters later, however, the Bulls did manage to get over the fence. A fielder's choice on a bunt to third by Kyndall Williams stopped Keen from advancing, but then Aliyah Carter swung for a two-run home run to left to take the lead.   
• Rutgers was able to advance runners to second in the top of the fifth and seventh, but were left on base.
   

KNIGHT NOTES

• Freshman Aleeah Randazzo made her second career start in the outfield going 2-for-3 at the plate after making her first appearance in the starting lineup against Kansas at last weekend's Boerner Invitational.
• Graduate transfer Gabrielle Callaway has reached base safely in the last 12 games with a pair of walks in the first two games of the USF Tournament.

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball meets Texas A&M – Corpus Christi at 9 a.m. and will play game two on Saturday at either 2 or 4:30 p.m.

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