Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
Softball Out To Best Start Since 1996 Following One-Hit, Shutout Victory Over Colgate
Feb 20 | Softball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Junior Ashley Hitchcock pitched a one-hit, complete-game shutout in leading Rutgers to its best start since 1996 on Saturday at the Pirate Clash hosted by ECU. The Scarlet Knights downed Colgate 2-0 to go 5-0 on the weekend and improve to 7-3 overall.
Rutgers softball returns to action next weekend at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. The Scarlet Knights will take on Princeton, Siena, FGCU, North Florida and Cornell on Feb. 25-27.
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| STATISTICALLY SPEAKING |
- Ashley Hitchcock went the distance allowing just one hit and striking out seven to improve to 3-3 inside the circle. Six of the seven Red Raiders were sent down looking.\
- Gabrielle Callaway notched her second home run of the year and Kyleigh Sand added her eighth run of the weekend.
| THE RUNDOWN |
- Three batters into the contest Gabrielle Callaway launched the ball deep into right for the early 1-0 lead.
- Colgate got its only hit the morning in the third, a single to first by Jillian Herbst.
- Kyleigh Sand put RU up 2-0 in the second. After walking to first, the sophomore stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error.
| KNIGHT NOTES |
- Rutgers softball is off to its best start since 1996 when RU opened the year 10-3.
- Ashley Hitchcock held down a 1.67 ERA in a 3-0 weekend. The junior right-hander pitched three complete games with a save over her four outings. She allowed five earned runs and sent down 26 on strikes.
- Jaden Vickers, meanwhile, was 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA and 10 strikeouts. The junior left-hander tossed 12.0 innings allowing only three earned runs.
- The Scarlet Knights hit .315 over the five-game Pirate Clash with 40 hits, five doubles and three home runs.
- At the plate, Rutgers was led by Maddie Lawson who hit .500 (8-for-16) with six RBIs, a double and her first career home run. She also added two runs.
- Payton Lincavage went .438 (7-for-16) and amassed seven runs scored, four RBIs and three stolen bases.
- Kyleigh Sand was responsible for eight of RU's 29 runs on the weekend and logged five stolen bases.
| UP NEXT |
Rutgers softball returns to action next weekend at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. The Scarlet Knights will take on Princeton, Siena, FGCU, North Florida and Cornell on Feb. 25-27.
Follow Rutgers softball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- RU -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hitchcock, Ashley (3-3)
L: Edwards, Mia (3-2)

Batting:
HR: Callaway, Gabrielle 1
RBI: Callaway, Gabrielle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sand, Kyleigh 1 ; Callaway, Gabrielle 1
SB: Sand, Kyleigh 1
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