COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Rutgers softball team finished out Saturday's contest and returned to the win column in the series finale with Ohio State on Sunday.

Saturday's contest was halted in the bottom of the fifth with the Scarlet Knights ahead 5-4, however, the Buckeyes came back on Sunday morning for a 13-5 victory.

In game two, graduate student Kiana Workman delivered a two-out RBI single to score the game-winning run in the top of the seventh to snap a 10-game slide.
 

Ohio State 13, Rutgers 5

STANDOUT STATS

• Graduate student Kiana Workman went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.
• Graduate student Gabrielle Callaway also hit 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
• Fifth-year senior Anyssa Iliopoulos went 1-for-1 with a double and two RBIs.

THE RUNDOWN

• For the third-straight game, Rutgers took the lead to open a game. Callaway led off with a double to left and Kiersten Withstandley's bunt was bobbled allowing the Scarlet Knight to reach. Iliopoulos doubled to right-center to give RU the 2-0 lead.
• Ohio State put a run up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning. Sam Hackenbract logged her third home run of the series with a solo shot to left.
• The Buckeyes threatened in the second loading the bases. However, Hitchcock delivered a strikeout on a full count to keep all OSU runners stranded.
• The tables turned in the third as the Scarlet Knights managed to load the bases, but Ohio State kept all RU runners left on and went on to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
• After the Buckeyes loaded the base on their following trip to the plate, Niki Carver used a sac fly to center to tie the game up at 2-2 and Taylor Pack followed with an RBI base hit to left to put her squad up 3-2.
• Rutgers took back the lead in the fifth. The Scarlet Knights once again loaded the bases and with two outs Workman sent the ball off the wall in left-center for a three-run double and a 5-3 RU advantage.
• The Buckeyes walked in a run to cut their deficit to one at 5-4 before the weather forced the game to resume Sunday morning.
• Resuming the game with the Scarlet Knights ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth with one out, Ohio State added seven runs including a grand slam from Carver to retake the lead.
• The hosts wrapped up the contest with three runs in the sixth including a walk-off home run to left-center from Mariah Rodriguez.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Workman's double was her fourth of the season, seventh her of career and the 30^th for the Scarlet Knights this season.
• Rutgers' three doubles tied for a season-high. The Scarlet Knights also collected three doubles against Wisconsin back on April 17.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Rutgers 6, Ohio State 5

STANDOUT STATS

• Sophomore Kiersten Withstandley and Payton Lincavage both hit 2-for-3 in game four. Withstandley notched a double, run scored and batted in, while Lincavage added an RBI.
• Graduate student Kiana Workman finished the contest 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, including the game-winner in the top of the seventh.
• Follow classmate Gabrielle Callaway was 1-for-4 with a double and run scored.
• Fifth-year senior Anyssa Iliopoulos was also responsible for sending in a Rutgers run.
• Graduate student Izzy Berouty notched her third victory of the second pitching 3.0 innings allowing three hits and no runs.

THE RUNDOWN

• Rutgers rebounded by taking another early lead. Gabrielle Callaway led off with a double to left and scored off a Payton Lincavage sacrifice fly to left. Two batters later, Workman sent a grounder past first base for an RBI and a 2-0 Scarlet Knight advantage.
• Mariah Rodriguez put Ohio State onto the scoreboard with another solo shot to left-center. The Buckeyes threatened with the bases loaded, but pitcher Ashley Hitchcock got the Scarlet Knights out of the jam with her second strikeout of the day.
• Withstandley pushed the Scarlet Knights ahead 3-1 in the second with an RBI double to right-center.
• Ohio State took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third. Taylor Pack sent in two runs off a double to right and scored off a Megan McMenemy single.
• The lead changed hands again in the top of the fifth. With two on and in scoring position, the Buckeyes were unable to hold on to Lincavage's ball to center allowing Withstandley to score to tie the game up. Iliopoulos followed in collecting an RBI on a groundout to first scoring pinch-runner Mya Mancini to go up 5-4.
• The Buckeyes responded with Ashley Prange leading off the bottom of the inning tying the game on a solo long ball over the fence in left.
• With two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, Workman sent the ball into shallow right to score pinch-runner Gabrielle Hendri for what would be the game-winning run.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers' eight hits were the most by the Scarlet Knights since capturing 10 against Nebraska back on April 3 in a 10-6 victory.
• Callaway tied for the team lead in doubles totaling seven for the season.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

SERIES NOTES

• Lincavage finished 5-for-10 at the plate with a double, four RBIs and run scored.
• Withstandley batted 4-for-10 on the weekend with a trio of runs, a double and run batted in.
• Callaway along with sophomore Kayla Bock each registered a trio of runs in the four-game series.
• Workman totaled five RBIs on three hits.

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball will be home for the next two series starting with Iowa on Friday, April 30th. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, fan attendance at the Rutgers Softball Complex is limited to two tickets allotted to each student-athlete.
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