Softball Begins Campus Competition At Michigan State

Friday, March 26

East Lansing, Mich.

4:00 PM (ET)

Rutgers University

Michigan State

Photo by: Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics

Mar 24 | Softball

ABOUT THE WEEKEND

ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

The Rutgers softball team has opened with a tough schedule that has included a Northwestern squad, currently ranked in three of the polls with only one loss, a Minnesota team that reached the 2019 College World Series and an Illinois squad leading the Big Ten in both hitting and pitching numbers.
The Scarlet Knights picked up a pair of victories over Purdue – a 12-9 opening game victory and a 6-5 come-from-behind victory in the nightcap – in the first Big Ten Florida weekend and dropped series with Minnesota and Indiana in the second Florida weekend.
Offensively, the Scarlet Knights are led by sophomore Payton Lincavage. On the season, Lincavage is 13^th in the Big Ten hitting .390 with 16 hits and three RBIs. Two weeks ago in Florida against Minnesota and Indiana, the infielder batted .455 with 10 hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. Lincavage has hit safely in her last nine contests.
Graduate student Gabrielle Callaway and freshman Megan Herka have both collected home runs this season, with freshmen Leilani Chavez and Kayla Bock both putting away a triple.
Sophomore right-hander Ashley Hitchcock leads the pitching corps with 36.0 innings inside the circle with 20 strikeouts. In her last appearance, the second-year Scarlet Knight tossed her first complete game with 10 innings in the 6-5 loss to Indiana. It was the most innings pitched by a Scarlet Knight since Alyssa Landrith versus Michigan State back on April 3, 2014. At the plate, Hitchcock is 3-for-7 (.429).

FLORIDA WEEKEND 2 RECAP

In game one with the Golden Gophers, Rutgers was able to come back twice before Minnesota stayed in front with their final at-bat in the top of the seventh in an 8-5 loss. After falling 4-0 in game two, Rutgers put up a valiant effort with its last at bat in the bottom of the seventh in the final game of the series. Trailing 6-2, the Scarlet Knights loaded the bases with no outs. While RU managed two runs, the Gophers were able to strand the tying run on second and go-ahead on first in the 6-4 setback.
Indiana took game one, 11-3, and game two, 8-1, and the Hoosiers needed extra innings to get past the Scarlet Knights in game three. With two outs and trailing 4-3, Payton Lincavage reached on with a double to left and came home on an Indiana error at short. Taylor Lane attempted to score the winning run off Kiana Workman's base hit to center two batters later, but was caught at the plate on the throw in from the outfield. Both squads tallied runs in the 10^th to continue extra innings. Lincavage knocked in a run to give Rutgers the 5-4 edge at the top of the inning, but the game continued with the Hoosiers stealing home with two outs. An Indiana double to lead off the 11^th gave the Hoosiers the win.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE

The Spartans welcome the Scarlet Knights with a 3-9 record. In the opening Florida weekend, MSU dropped two games to Northwestern and split series with Nebraska and Iowa. During week two, the Spartans went 1-2 against Illinois and were swept by Minnesota.
Mackenzie Meech tops the MSU stat sheet hitting .400 thru the first 12 games of the season. The junior utility has collected 12 hits, 3 RBIs and four runs. A year ago, Meech led the Spartans in doubles (6), home runs (2) and RBIs (15) ranking eighth in the Big Ten in doubles and 10^th in RBIs.
Senior Caitie Ladd, meanwhile, is batting .300 totaling 12 hits and two RBIs with four doubles and six runs scored. During the shorten 2020 season, the infielder led MSU in hitting (.323), hits (21), doubles (21), home runs (2) and walks (13).
Rookie right-hander Ashley Miller is 2-2 on the year inside the circle in her seven appearances with one save to her credit. In 28.0 innings, she is holding down a 1.25 ERA with 25 strikeouts.

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