CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Rutgers softball completed the series sweep, its first Big Ten sweep since 2019, with a 10-8 victory over Illinois at Eichelberger Field on Sunday.

The Scarlet Knights upped their record to 26-10 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play. RU has won nine-straight games.

Rutgers 10, Illinois 8

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Jaden Vickers improved to 6-4 inside the circle with six strikeouts, while Georgia Ingle notched her second save.
• Three of Rutgers' 10 hits came from home runs off the bats of Ingle, Payton Lincavage and Kyleigh Sand. Sand and Lincavage were solo home runs, while Ingle delivered a three-run blast in the fifth to give RU the lead for good.
• Lincavage finished 2-for-3 while Taylor Fawcett was 2-for-4 with a double.
• Maddie Lawson added a pair of runs.  

THE RUNDOWN

• Illinois took a 1-0 lead in their first plate appearance. Stevie Meade tripled to left center and tagged up on a pop-up to second by Kelly Ryono.
• Rutgers, however, did not wait long to knot the score at 1-1. Maddie Lawson kicked off the top of the second with a double to left center and advanced to third on a single down the left field line by Payton Lincavage. The sophomore Scarlet Knight scored on a sacrifice fly from Ryann Orange.
• Lincavage gave the Scarlet Knights the lead taking her first pitch to straight center field for a solo home run. Before the inning would end, RU would add another four runs. Taylor Fawcett drove in a run of a single to left and the bases would be loaded for Calista Collins to be hit by a pitch for an additional score. Leilani Chavez arrived at the plate to drop the ball into left-center. While the side retired as the Illini outfield was able to get the third out at third base, Lawson and Fawcett would cross the plate for a 6-1 advantage.
• Illinois pulled within a run on their return to the plate. Meade collected an RBI single while Ryono cleared the bases with a three-run shot to center. Jaden Vickers entered the circle to help retire the side with the Scarlet Knights ahead 6-5 behind a pair of strikeouts.
• The Fighting Illini went in front in the bottom of the fourth. With runners in scoring position, Ryono posted a base hit to right scoring two runs before she was caught going to second after the runs were plated.
• Georgia Ingle returned the lead to the Scarlet Knights in the fifth. The sophomore Scarlet Knight logged her first career home run hitting the top of the wall in right to put RU up 9-7.
• Kyleigh Sand added to RU's home run tally leading off the top of the sixth taking her first pitch over the wall in left for her first dinger of the season.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Payton Lincavage's home run was her second of the series, fourth of the season and 12th of her career.
• Georgia Ingle's home run was the first of her career, while Kyleigh Sand's was her first of the season and second of her career.
• The three home runs on Sunday brought RU's season total to 31 which currently ranks seventh on the team season leaders list. The Scarlet Knights need five more to move into fourth. The RU record is 54 in 2019.
• It was the ninth time the Scarlet Knights put up 10 or more runs against a Big Ten team and the most since plating 10 against Nebraska on April 3, 2021.

ILLINOIS SERIES KNIGHT NOTES

• It was the fourth Big Ten sweep for the Scarlet Knights in Big Ten play. RU also had sweeps against Penn State in 2019, Indiana in 2016 and Michigan State in 2015.
• Rutgers totaled nine home runs from seven different Scarlet Knights on the weekend to go along with nine doubles.
• Payton Lincavage led RU at the plate hitting .600 (6-for-19) with three doubles, two home runs, four RBIs and a 1.50 slugging percentage. The third baseman scored four of RU's 25 runs.
• Katie Wingert hit .556 (5-for-9) with a double and two home runs. The catcher posted five RBIs and four runs scored.
• Kyleigh Sand finished .417 (5-for-12) with two doubles and a home run and scored four runs.
• Inside the circle, Raimy Gamsby, Jaden Vickers and Morgan Smith picked up wins with Goergia Ingle getting her first career saves. Gamsby saw nine innings of work with nine strikeouts in her two appearances.  

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball is back home next weekend for its first Big Ten series of the 2023 season at the Rutgers Softball Complex. The Scarlet Knights welcome Purdue for 3 p.m. contests on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 with the series finale on Sunday, April 2 at 1 p.m. 

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