PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- The Rutgers softball team opened up the 2022 season with a pair of contests at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge on Thursday. 

The Scarlet Knights faced the first of two top 10 and NCAA Super Regional squads to open dropping a 4-0 contest to No. 8 Arkansas. In game two, Rutgers was able to jump out to a 3-0 lead against Memphis, but the Tigers pounced back to hand the Scarlet Knights a 6-3 loss. 

No. 8 Arkansas 4, Rutgers 0

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Sophomore Kyleigh Sand and graduate student Gabrielle Callaway went both 1-for-3 in the first game of the 2022 season.
• Ashley Hitchcock earned the start tossing 3.2 innings. The junior Scarlet Knight allowed two earned runs while striking out a pair of Razorbacks along the way.

THE RUNDOWN

• The eighth-ranked Razorbacks took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Danielle Gibson used a two-out double to center to score to send in leadoff KB Sides to take the lead.
• Arkansas added three runs in the third. With the bases loaded, Linnie Malkin drove in a run with a hit to left and the Razorbacks were able to add another two off the glove in the outfield.
• Newcomer Georgia Ingle entered the circle in the fourth and was able to help Rutgers out of a jam. Entering with the bases loaded and two outs, Arkansas lined out to second to end the inning.
• Only two Razorbacks would reach the bases off an error and walk in the final two innings.

KNIGHT NOTES

•  The Scarlet Knights and Razorbacks were the first official collegiate softball game underway when first pitch was tossed at 11:03 a.m. (ET).
• Kyleigh Sand and Maddie Lawson both registered their first starts for the Scarlet Knights, while Georgia Ingle pitched the final 2.1 innings in her RU debut. 

 

Memphis 6, Rutgers 3

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Gabrielle Callaway had a hand in giving Rutgers the early 3-0 lead finishing the game with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
• Kyleigh Sand went 3-for-3 in game two scoring RU's first run of the year.
• Additionally, Leilani Chavez was 2-for-4.
• Jaden Vickers started inside the circle going 4.0 innings with six strikeouts.

THE RUNDOWN

• Gabrielle Callaway put Rutgers out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth. The Scarlet Knight graduate student drove in two runs with a single to right and would go on to add a run sneaking into the plate when two batters later Maddie Lawson caught the Tiger offense off-guard in stealing second base.
• Six hits led to six runs for Memphis in the bottom of the inning to claim the lead. Camryn Weininger used a two-run home run to put the Tigers onto the scoreboard and Kendall Lee drove the ball thru the left side for two RBIs and a 4-3 advantage. Gracie Morto gave the Tigers a cushion with a two-out single to right for another pair of runs.
• Rutgers looked to punch back in the top of the sixth by loading the bases off singles by Megan Herka and Kyleigh Sand and a walk from Payton Lincavage. With Callaway at the plate as the go-ahead run, Memphis was able to keep all the runners on with a fly out to left.

UP NEXT

Rutgers meets Lamar for the first of two meetings with the Cardinals at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. (ET).

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