HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – The Rutgers softball overcame an early deficit to beat Bucknell, 10-5, and had a second comeback fall just short in a 9-8 loss to host Marshall at the Thundering Herd Round Robin at Dot Hicks Field.

Saturday's split moved Rutgers to 9-12 on the season.

RUTGERS 10, BUCKNELL 5

STANDOUT STATS

• Freshman Ashley Hitchcock got the win to improve to 5-3 on the season behind a season-high eight strikeouts.
• Graduate student short stop Kiana Workman went 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a three RBI double in the bottom of the first to help Rutgers bounce back from an early deficit.
• Fellow graduate student Gabrielle Callaway ended the game 3-for-3 with two RBI.
• Freshman third baseman Payton Lincavage added in two RBI, as well, along with a run and hitting 2-for-3.
• Freshman centerfielder Taylor Fawcett scored three runs with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

THE RUNDOWN

• Bucknell struck early opening the game with three consecutive hits to take a 2-0 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Allyse Volpe and Chase Knapp put a run onto the scoreboard for the Bison and a single by Nicole Rivait to center put Bucknell up by a pair of runs. Rutgers' Ashley Hitchcock came into the game and retired the next three Bison batters to get RU out of the top inning.
• The Scarlet Knights punched back batting the order for four runs in their first turn at the plate and never looked back. A RBI single by Payton Lincavage and a three RBI double by Kiana Workman to center gave Rutgers a lead they would never relinquish.
• The Scarlet Knights added two more runs in the bottom of the second with Gabrielle Callaway hitting the ball inside the left field foul line for a double to score Hailey Hoklotubbe and Taylor Fawcett for the 6-2 advantage.
• The Bison put up a run in the top of the third on a home run to right field by Nicole Rivait, but the Scarlet Knights countered with a home run of their own in the bottom of the inning with a solo long ball by Workman over the right field fence to go ahead 7-3.
• Bucknell tacked on another run in the top of the fourth. Kaitlyn Lorberter reached on off a single down the right field line and made her way to home later in the inning off a wild pitch.
• Errors proved costly to Bucknell at RU's next at-bat as a trio of miscues led to a trio of run for Rutgers to extend its lead to 10-4. The top of the order – Aleah Marra and Taylor Fawcett – both reached base off errors and Callaway loaded the bases with a single to left center. Anyssa Iliopoulos hit the ball to third and with the Bison attempting to make the out at home plate, the off-target throw allowed Fawcett and pinch runner Cambria Keefer to score. A Lincavage sac fly to center scored pinch runner Mya Mancini for the inning's third run and a 10-4 lead.
• The Bison put up one more run in the top of the fifth. Taylor Wolfgang doubled to left and came home on a Marisa Alemany single to left center.
• Taylor Manno finished the final two innings inside the circle for the Scarlet Knights with three strikeouts.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers' 11 hits tied for the most in 2020. The Scarlet Knights also had 11 hits in the 11-10 extra inning victory over Syracuse on Feb. 14 during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
• Ashley Hitchcock logged a season-high eight strikeouts and has tossed five or more strikeouts in seven of her 16 appearances.
• The 11 total strikeouts marked the fourth game this season with double digit strikeouts for the Scarlet Knight pitching staff.
• Kiana Workman tied her career-high with four RBI having also registered four runs batted in against Northwestern State (2/24/18), St. Francis Pa. (3/17/17) and New Mexico (3/2/18) while at Texas Tech. Workman's home run was her third of the year and ninth of her career.
• Taylor Fawcett's three runs were also a career-high surpassing her previous high of two in in victories over Syracuse at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. She has a team-leading 11 runs on the season.  
• Both Gabrielle Callaway and Payton Lincavage have had two RBI in two of RU's last three games.
• Callaway has reached base safely in the last 16 games.
   

MARSHALL 9, RUTGERS 8

STANDOUT STATS

• Payton Lincavage collected three RBI going 2-for-4 at the plate including a bases loaded double on a full count that gave Rutgers a lead in the top of the sixth.
• Aleah Marra and Anyssa Iliopoulos had two RBI apiece and a run scored.
• Corah Price hurled 5.2 innings tying her career-high with nine strikeouts in the loss.

THE RUNDOWN

• Game was scoreless until the third inning. Ashley Hitchcock generated the game's first hit, but was left on base. The Thundering Herd, however, registered four hits for a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Marshall's Armani Brown put her team on top with a RBI single down the left field line and the opposition added two more runs off a triple from Sierra Huerta and single to second by Mya Steveson.
• Taylor Fawcett helped Rutgers onto the scoreboard making the rounds with a pair of Scarlet Knights stolen bases in the top of the fourth. The freshman walked and advanced to third on a single by Gabrielle Callaway. Mya Mancini, pinch running for Callaway, stole second and on the throw, Fawcett scored.
• The fourth inning continued with a sacrifice fly to left from Anyssa Iliopoulos allowing Mancini to reach home and cut the deficit to 3-2.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Marshall added another run. Brown hit a chopper in front of the plate and while Katie Wingert tried to stop the run with a diving tag, the Herd's Rachel Rousseau was called safe putting her squad up, 4-2.
• With their next at-bat in the fifth, Rutgers took the lead. RU cut its deficit to a run with Aleah Marra ripping the ball up the middle scoring pinch runner Cambria Keefer from second. Then with the bases loaded and a full count, Payton Lincavage swung away for a double to right center for three runs and a 6-4 Rutgers lead.
• RU put up another run in the top of the seventh with Marra collecting her second RBI of the game getting pinch runner Jane Owens home on a groundout to second.
• The Thundering Herd, however, reclaimed the lead on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the seventh. Mya Stevenson went over the scoreboard in center for three runs and Saige Pye followed with a solo shot to left to put Marshall in front, 9-7.
• The Rutgers come back fell just short in the top of the seventh. Kiana Workman drilled the ball to short causing the Marshall shortstop to make a diving stop in what looked like a single, but was called out on the throw at first. Iliopoulos followed with a solo home run to left but the Scarlet Knights would be unable to generate a tying run.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Anyssa Iliopoulos posted her fifth home run of the 2020 season and 24^th of her career. It was also the senior's fifth two RBI contest of the year.
• Gabrielle Callaway has reached on base safely in the last 17 consecutive contests and is currently riding a four-game hitting streak.
• Corah Price tossed nine strikeouts tying her career-high. She also threw nine strikeouts against Robert Morris (3/3/19).

UP NEXT

The Rutgers softball team takes on the same two teams on Sunday with first pitch against Bucknell at 9:30 a.m. and Marshall at 1:30 p.m.

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