PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Home runs from the bats of Payton Lincavage and Kayla Bock propelled Rutgers softball back into the win column on Sunday afternoon at the Rutgers Softball Complex in a 3-1 victory over Penn State in the series finale.

The win snapped a 14-game losing streak for the Scarlet Knights as they head into two crucial series the next two weekends at Purdue and at home versus Michigan State in looking to return to the Big Ten Tournament. RU improved to 24-26 overall and 2-15 in the Big Ten. Penn State, meanwhile, dropped to 27-17 overall and 9-6 in league play.
 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Junior Payton Lincavage and sophomore Kayla Bock both connected on their third home runs of the year. Lincavage had a solo shot in the first inning while Bock blasted a two-run bomb in the second.
• Junior Taylor Fawcett added in a run off Bock's hit over the fence.
• Sophomore Kyleigh Sand was 1-for-3 continuing her on-base streak to 31 games.
• Junior Ashley Hitchcock picked up her 10th win of the season inside the circle and her 12th complete game of the year. She gave up just one run on four hits and struck out one Nittany Lion.

THE RUNDOWN

• After being shut out on Saturday, Rutgers answered back with its second batter of the day on Sunday. Payton Lincavage drove a 2-0 count deep into right field for the early 1-0 Scarlet Knight lead.
• In the next inning, Taylor Fawcett came aboard with a single through the left side setting up Kayla Bock to blast a 1-1 count down the right-field line and over the fence for a 3-0 RU edge.
• Rutgers sent Penn State down in order in the second, third and fourth innings.
• The Nittany Lions scored their lone run in the top of the sixth as a trio of singles thwarted the shutout. Penn State had runners in scoring position with two outs when Lauren Marcotte beat the throw to first to garner the RBI single scoring pinch-runner Maddie Gordon.
• The Scarlet Knights retired the side 1-2-3 in the seventh to secure the victory.

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball's nonconference contest with Drexel on Tuesday has been canceled. The Scarlet Knights have two more Big Ten weekend series left on the regular-season schedule and will visit Purdue for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 29. RU closes out the regular season at home against Michigan State in a three-game series kicking off on Friday, May 6.

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