TEMPE, Ariz. – Junior Payton Lincavage launched the ball into left field to lead off the second inning and the Rutgers softball team never looked back in taking a 6-3 victory over New Mexico State to close out weekend action at the Arizona State/Grand Canyon Classic on Sunday at Farrington Field.

The Scarlet Knights head into their final nonconference tournament of the 2022 season at 16-9 overall. On the weekend, RU went 3-2 with two wins over New Mexico State and a victory over Grand Canyon.
 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Payton Lincavage and Gabrielle Callaway both had solo home runs in the victory. Callaway finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs.
• Kyleigh Sand was 1-for-2 with a run batted in and a run scored.
• Jaden Vickers got the start pitching 3.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Ashley Hitchcock tossed the final four innings for the win to up her mark to 6-7 overall. She struck out three Aggies.

THE RUNDOWN

• Payton Lincavage gave Rutgers a 1-0 lead with her home run to left to kick off the top of the second.
• Rutgers generated another four runs the next inning. Kyleigh Sand used an RBI single to left and Gabrielle Callaway sent in two more two batters later with a base hit. A bobbled ball at first allowed Taylor Fawcett to reach first with the error scoring Callaway for a 5-0 Scarlet Knight advantage.
• New Mexico State cut its deficit by a pair of runs with a two-run home run by Taylor in the bottom half of the third.
• Ashley Hitchcock came into the circle in the fourth and helped Rutgers get out of a bases-loaded jam.
• In the seventh, Callaway cranked a solo shot, her team-leading third home run of the year, to straight-away center for a 6-2 lead.
• The Aggies added another run with two outs in their final at-bat. Martinez went deep to center field and New Mexico State followed by adding another two base runners but fell short in the comeback attempt.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Gabrielle Callaway and Kayla Bock both finished the weekend batting .500 going 4-for-6. Callaway collected six runs and three RBIs. Bock, meanwhile, was responsible for a pair of runs and an RBI.
• Taylor Fawcett, playing in her native Arizona, went 5-for-14 including a pair of doubles and a home run with two runs scored.
• Jaden Vickers went 2-0 with complete games in both victories. She tossed 17.0 innings totaled striking out 14 along the way.
• Ashley Hitchcock threw for 12.1 innings with six strikeouts.

UP NEXT

The Rutgers softball team closes out nonconference tournament play hosting the Rutgers Tournament on March 17-20. The Scarlet Knights will host teams from UMES, Holy Cross, Fairfield, St. Peter's and Drexel. Admission to all games at the Rutgers Softball Complex is free.

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