PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Minnesota tied up the series with the Rutgers softball team on Saturday taking advantage of blustery March weather on the Livingston Campus in an 11-7 victory over the Scarlet Knights.

While four runs for the Golden Gophers in the second and seven in the third saw the visitors go out to an 11-1 edge, Rutgers did not go down quietly and provided some punch back in the loss. The Scarlet Knights avoided the run-rule in the bottom of fifth as Kobie Hura delivered a two-out, 2-2 count inside the left-field foul pole for a three-run home run to keep RU alive. Taylor Fawcett also provided a two-run home run in the seventh to cut into the deficit.

Rutgers fell to 22-11 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play.
 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Junior Taylor Fawcett and sophomore Kobie Hura each had a home run and three runs batted in on the day.  It was the second home run of the year for Fawcett while Hura connected on her first career hit over the fence.
• Graduate student Gabrielle Callaway was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. She extended her hit streak to seven straight and has reached base safely over the last 14 contests.
• Sophomore Kyleigh Sand was 2-for-3 punching in a run. She also has reached base safely in the last 14 games.
• Junior Jaden Vickers got the start dropping to 13-3 inside the circle. The lefthander threw for 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. Georgia Ingle, meanwhile, pitched the final 4.2 innings giving up just one hit and no runs while striking out one Golden Gopher.

THE RUNDOWN

• Rutgers took the lead in their first trip to the plate. Gabrielle Callaway extended her hitting streak to six games on a double that scored leadoff Kyleigh Sand for the early 1-0 lead.
• Minnesota, however, made use of the wind totaling nine hits, including three home runs, during the second and third innings for an 11-1 advantage.
• In the second, Kayla Chavez knotted the score at 1-1 off an RBI single to center and then with two outs Lauren Espalin added a three-run home run to left-center for the Golden Gophers to claim the lead.
• Chloe Evans led off the third with a solo shot and Minnesota loaded the bases for Chavez to add on with another RBI single. The bases remained loaded for the Golden Gophers to walk in a run and Espalin followed with her second home run of the afternoon, a grand slam, to put Minnesota in front, 11-1.
• The Scarlet Knights tacked on a run in the bottom of the third off an RBI double to center from the bat of Taylor Fawcett.
• While it looked that the game might end in a run-rule fifth inning as RU was down to its final strike with two outs, pinch hitter Kobie Hura hit the ball out of the park tucking the ball inside the left-field foul pole for a three-run trip around the bases. Hura's home run kept the Scarlet Knights alive down 11-5.
• Rutgers hopes were still alive in the seventh as Fawcett whittled down the gap further with a two-run shot to left. The junior's home run would be the final push back of the game for the Scarlet Knights.

UP NEXT

The series is on the line tomorrow in the finale with first pitch slated for 11 a.m. at the Rutgers Softball Complex. Admission is free.

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