CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Rutgers softball closed out its run at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with Cal State Northridge and BYU. The Scarlet Knights topped CSUN, 8-3, in a nine-inning thriller, before dropping its final game in California to the Cougars, 9-1.
 
The Scarlet Knights end the weekend with a 4-2 record in the event, moving them to 10-6 on the season.
 
RU had a strong weekend at the plate, scoring 52 runs on 56 hits and collecting 42 team RBIs. 

Rutgers 8, CSUN 3

• Morgan Smith tossed her third complete game of the season, going the full nine innings and recording five strikeouts.
• The senior also had a strong performance at the plate, going 2-for-4 and smashing her third home run of the weekend.
• Katie Wingert connected on her second home run of the weekend and eighth of the season. The graduate student needs just three more blasts to tie the Rutgers all-time home run record.
• Kayla Bock claimed her ninth RBI of the weekend with her go-ahead RBI single in extras.
• Georgia Ingle earned her first hit of the season with an RBI single.
• Payton Lincavage brought in her sixth RBI of the season.

• Payton Lincavage smacked an RBI-single to right field, giving Rutgers an early 1-0 edge in the top of the first.
• After a quiet second and third innings, Katie Wingert doubled the Scarlet Knights' lead with a solo blast in the top of the fourth.
• CSUN added its first pair of hits in the bottom of the fourth, getting on the board to cut RU's lead in half. The Matadors provided a game-equalizing RBI fielder's choice in the following frame.
• Both teams looked to end the game in the seventh inning, but neither made it home, sending the game into extras.
• The Scarlet Knights found themselves in a jam in the bottom of the eighth, with one out and a Matador on third. Kyleigh Sand kept RU alive, snagging a line drive in the air and doubling up the runner on third.
• Rutgers found its spark with a six-run top of the ninth. Kayla Bock got things started with an RBI single to help RU jump in front, 3-2. Georgia Ingle kept things going with an RBI single, doubling the lead. An RBI fielder's choice from Sand and a sacrifice fly from Lauren Punk pushed the lead out to four. The Scarlet Knights were not done there, though, as Morgan Smith launched a two-run home run over the fence, breaking the game wide open.
• Smith went right back to work in the circle in the bottom of the same inning, closing the door on CSUN and giving RU an 8-3 victory.

Rutgers 1, BYU 9

• Kyleigh Sand, LA Matthews, Katie Wingert, and Payton Lincavage provided one hit apiece.
• Matthews helped RU to its lone run of the contest, poking an RBI fielder's choice to score Leilani Chavez.

• BYU capitalized on a wild pitch and knocked an RBI single to jump out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
• The Cougars extended their advantage to three in the following frame with an RBI double and a three-run home run.
• Rutgers was able to get on the board in the top of the third. Leilani Chavez capitalized on a throwing error by the Cougars, going from second to home on a fielder's choice hit by LA Matthews.
• BYU added its seventh run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth, sending an RBI double to the wall. The Cougars then tacked on an additional tally on a passed ball.
• The Cougars secured their run-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth, walking the night off with an RBI single.

• The Scarlet Knights will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. for the UNC Tournament. Play is set to begin on Friday, March 1 with a doubleheader against Campbell (11:30 a.m.) and UNC (2:00 p.m.).