PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Iowa bested the Rutgers softball team in Friday's opener at an extremely windy RU Softball Complex, 11-8.
The Scarlet Knights came back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game up in the bottom of the fifth. The Hawkeyes, however, took advantage of the wind for three home runs to pull in front 11-6.
Rutgers did not go down quietly though. Kiana Workman continued to pour in the RBIs sending home two in the bottom of the seventh. From there the Scarlet Knights loaded the bases with two outs with the go-ahead run at the plate. RU unfortunately was not able to add to the score.
Iowa 11, Rutgers 8
- Fifth-year senior Anyssa Iiopoulos was responsible for three Scarlet Knight runs and hit 3-for-4 on the day.
- Graduate student Kiana Workman went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs.
- Sophomore Payton Lincavage and freshman Kayla Bock both hit 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Sophomore Kiersten Withstandley and graduate student Gabrielle Callaway both collected a pair of hits and scored one run each.
- Graduate student right-hander Izzy Berouty threw her first complete game for the Scarlet Knights fanning three along the way.
- Kalena Burns put Iowa onto the scoreboard in the third on an RBI single to left-center.
- Burns added another run in the top of the fifth and the Hawkeyes added three more with a shot by Marissa Peek just inside the left-field foul pole for Iowa to go up, 5-2.
- Rutgers punched back in their next turn at the plate as four hits led to a trio of runs and tie ball game. Three-straight singles put a Scarlet Knights on each base setting up Kayla Bock to knock two home on a single up the middle. Lincavage advanced all
- runner a base on a grounder to second to score Iliopoulos for the second time to knot the game at 5-5.
- Iowa used the wind to their advantage for two more home runs in the sixth. Solo blasts from Grace Banes and Brylee Klosterman gave the visitors a 6-5 edge.
- Aralee Bogar extended Iowa's lead to 11-5 on a grand slam to left in the top of the seventh.
- Rutgers cut into the deficit as Workman cleared the bases with a double to right inside the foul line for two RBIs. The Scarlet Knights proceeded to load the bases with two outs putting the go-ahead run at the plate but were unable to capitalize.
- The Scarlet Knights swung for a season-high 14 hits surpassing their previous best of 12 against Purdue back on Feb. 28 in a 12-9 victory.
- Rutgers took the lead with their first at-bat for the third-straight contest and has scored at least one run in the first inning 10 times this season.
- Berouty's first complete game in an RU uniform was the ninth of her career.
- Workman tied her season high with three runs batted in and over the last three contests has totaled eight RBIs.
- Sophomore Taylor Fawcett tied her career-high and posted a season-high with her three hits. She also had three hits against Syracuse back on Feb. 14, 2020 during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
- Lincavage extended her hit streak to six.
Gallery: (4-30-2021) Softball vs. Iowa
Rutgers softball continues the Iowa series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. 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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