PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers softball has adjusted its Big Ten and home opening weekend schedule with Ohio State due to impending weather. 

The Scarlet Knights and Buckeyes will now open the three-game series on Friday, March 22 with a doubleheader beginning at noon with the series finale on its scheduled date and time of Sunday, March 24 at 1 p.m. 

Admission to call games at the Rutgers Softball Complex is free. Fans can click here to register for parking.
 

SCHEDULE INFO

 

Games:	vs. Ohio State Piscataway, N.J. | Rutgers Softball Complex
Game Notes:	Rutgers | Ohio State
Statistics:	Rutgers  | Ohio State | Big Ten
Live Stats & Video:	Friday, Mar. 22 Noon - Live Stats | BTN + (Dom Savino & Maria Trivelpiece) 2:30 p.m - Live Stats | BTN+ (Dom Savino & Maria Trivelpiece) Sunday, Mar. 24 Game 2 Continuation - T10 - Tied 8-8 - Noon - Live Stats | BTN + 30 min following Game 2 - Live Stats | BTN + (Dom Savino & Maria Trivelpiece)
Social Media:	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

        
 

ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

• After 30 games on the road, the Rutgers softball team is back home to host Ohio State in a Big Ten three-game series.
• Rutgers comes into Friday's game at 18-12 overall having gone 5-4 during its spring break trip out west and dropping a 2-0 midweek contest at Virginia on Tuesday afternoon.
• The Scarlet Knights went 4-4 at the Bulldog Invitational hosted by Fresno State with its second extra-inning victory of the year over CSUN and a nine-run win over host Fresno State. RU also took part in a Big Ten prequel at No. 15 UCLA with the Scarlet Knights and Bruins tied at 6-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh before the conference newcomer took the game. Rutgers also picked up a shutout at Cal Baptist and took two of three at San Diego.
• On the stat sheet, senior Morgan Smith leads the Scarlet Knights at the plate hitting .414 (41-for-99) with 25 runs, five doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 32 RBIs. In the circle, Smith is 6-4 overall with a 2.97 ERA. In 16 appearances she has tossed 75.1 innings with 53 strikeouts.
• Kyleigh Sand, who is RU's career batting average leader, is hitting .388 with a team-leading 34 runs and 10 stolen bases. She has also collected six doubles and three triples this season.
• Joining Smith inside the circle is Mattie Boyd who is 10-6 on the year with 2.59 ERA and team-leading 76 strikeouts. In 18 appearances, she has started 14 contests and more recently picked up her first career save sending two the final two San Diego batters swinging with two on in last Saturday's 5-3 win over the Toreros.
• Katie Wingert continues to chase the Rutgers home run record. The Scarlet Knight, who earlier this month was named the No. 8 catcher in Softball America's March report, is three long balls away from tying the record of 40 set by Jackie Bates (2012-15) and four away from becoming the all-time leader. Wingert is currently hitting .299 along with six doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBIs.

ABOUT OHIO STATE

Head Coach: Kelly Kovach Schoenly (Michigan '95) - 540-368-2 Overall (18th Season)/352-216-1 at Ohio State (12th Season)
2024 Record: 16-8 Overall

All-Time Series: Rutgers trails 4-12 (Last Meeting: May 10, 2023 - L,4-7 - Big Ten Tournament First Round)

Top Buckeyes:
Batting

• Tegan Cortelletti - .477 BA, 21 runs, 31 hits, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR , 10 RBI, 11 stolen bases
• Jasmyn Burns - .343 BA, 10 runs, 24 hits, 3 doubles, 6 HRs, 23 RBIs
• Kaitlyn Farley - .333 BA, 15 runs, 22 hits, 1 HR, 10 RBIs

Pitching

• Julia Miller - 2-0 W-L, 2.00 ERA, 2 CG, 2 shutous, 1 save, 21.0 IP, 23 Ks
• Allison Smith - 9-5 W-L, 2.12 ERA, 2 CG, 1 save, 59.1 IP, 58 Ks
• Emily Ruck - 3-2 W-L, 4.20 W-L, 1 CG, 1 shutouts, 36.2 IP, 33 Ks 

 

NONCONFERENCE MIDWEEK RECAPS

• RU dropped a 2-0 decision at Virginia on March 19 in its final game before opening conference play. The Cavaliers put up a run in the fourth and fifth innings while Mattie Boyd tossed a complete game for the Scarlet Knights racking up five strikeouts. Defensively, Katie Wingert and Maddie Lawson connected to catch a pair of Cavaliers stealing whilehits came from the bats of Kyleigh Sand, Morgan Smith and Leilani Chavez.
• The Scarlet Knights collected its fourth shutout of the year in a 5-0 win at Cal Baptist on March 13.  Mattie Boyd pitched six innings giving up just two hits, both singles, while striking out seven Lancers to improve to 9-5 on the year. Kyleigh Sand, LA Matthews, Katie Wingert, Leilani Chavez and Lauren Punk all collected RBIs.
• Rutgers met No. 15 ULCA in a Big Ten prequel on March 13. The two squads were tied at 6-6 before the host Bruins put across the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Kayla Bock posted a three-run home run in the third giving Rutgers a 3-1 edge on UCLA. Morgan Smith started the game in the circle and hurled 3.1 innings, striking out two and giving up five runs on five hits. At the plate, Smith tied the ballgame up at 6-6 with one out plating two runs on a single. Georgia Ingle saw 1.3 innings of work allowing three hits and no runs while Mattie Boyd fell to 8-5 in the year throwing the final 1.1 innings. The Bruins led 1-0 after the first inning but Bock delivered a three-run blast over the wall in right field to five RU a 3-1 edge after two and half of play. UCLA tied the game in the third, retook the lead in the fourth and extended its lead to 6-3 at the end of six. Rutgers loaded the bases in the seventh resulting in three runs coming across and tying the ballgame. RU was all board for LA Matthews to single to left-center to score Maddie Lawson and a single up the middle by Morgan Smith brought home Kobie Hura and Kyleigh Sand to knot the score at 6-6. The bases were loaded for the Bruins in the bottom of the seventh for Jadelyn Allchin to produce a walk-off single into a right-center for the win.

SAN DIEGO SERIES RECAP

• Rutgers took two of three from San Diego to close out its spring break west coast trip.
• The Scarlet Knights dropped the opener, 3-2, in extra innings. Payton Lincavage scored both Scarlet Knight runs and collected a triple to move into a tie for sixth on the all-time list. Kayla Bock was 2-for-4 with an RBI double that scored Lincavage to tie the game at 2-2 in the sixth. Morgan Smith hurled a complete game but fell to 5-4 inside the circle. She struck out four along the way.
• RU rebounded for 13-2 six-inning win in game two. The win, which saw Mattie Boyd earn her 10th victory, five Scarlet Knights plate two runs and Katie Wingert move into ninth all-time in doubles. Rutgers tied its season high for a third time this season with 14 hits, including four hits in the top of the sixth to score six runs. Morgan Smith led the way going 3-for-5 with a double, triple and two RBIs Katie Wingert collected a pair of RBI doubles to move into ninth all-time "On The Banks" with 34 in her Scarlet Knight career. Kyleigh Sand and LA Matthews both posted two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored each. Kobie Hura knocked two runs in and scored twice. Kayla Bock added two hits and two runs as well. Mattie Boyd threw all six innings for her seventh complete game of the year improving to 10-5 overall. She struck out four Toreros along the way.
• In the finale, the Scarlet Knights earned a 5-3 win. Bailey Briggs delivered a two-run double in her first career hit helping Rutgers to a three-run top of the seventh in the victory. Mattie Boyd, meanwhile, earned her first save sending down the final two Torero batters swinging with runners on first and second.

BULLDOG INVITATIONAL RECAP

• Rutgers downed CSUN for a second time this season in extras having also met the Matadors at Mary Nutter. CSUN answered two Rutgers leads, but ultimately it was the Scarlet Knights dropping in three runs in the top of the eighth for the victory. Kyleigh Sand was 4-for-4 with two runs and pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a double. LA Matthews went 3-for-3 with an RBI double and a career-high three runs scored. Mattie Boyd got the start inside the circle going six innings with four runs on six hits and three strikeouts. Morgan Smith entered the circle in the seventh with the score knotted at 4-4 to collect the win to improve to 5-2 on the year. In her two innings of work, Smith allowed one hit and struck out one Matador.
• The Scarlet Knights dropped both its games with Nevada. In the 6-4 nine-inning loss, Rutgers came back from a 3-0 deficit and took a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, but the Wolf Pack topped the Scarlet Knights after a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 6-4 win. Kyleigh Sand went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and run scored. Her triple moved her into a tie for eighth on Rutgers' career triples leaders list with six. Morgan Smith, who started the game inside the circle, and Payton Lincavage also scored runs. Smith's run tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth and Lincavage's run put RU up 4-3 in the top of the ninth. In game two, RU fell 7-3. Smith dropped o 5-3 in the circle but went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. Georgia Ingle tossed 4.0 innings giving up four hits and no earned runs. Payton Lincavage, Leilani Chavez and Jillian Anderson scored the trio of Rutgers runs.
• RU rebounded with a 10-1 victory over host Fresno State to close tournament play. Mattie Boyd went the distance for the seventh time this season picking up five strikeouts. Morgan Smith was 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Katie Wingert and Lauren Punk both added two RBIs each. For Wingert, her double moved her into ninth in career doubles while both of Punk's runs batted in came in a six-run top of the seventh for the Scarlet Knights. Kyleigh Sand and Jillian Anderson scored two runs apiece.

MIZUNO INVITATIONAL RECAP

• The Scarlet Knights picked up a 7-1 win over Lafayette, a 4-0 shutout over host UNC and a 10-2 run-rule victory over Rider. RU's lone setback was 3-2 loss to 2024 Big South champion Campbell in extra innings.
• Payton Lincavage and Kyleigh Sand both hit .583 on the weekend with seven hits, four runs and two RBIs each. Lincavage captured a double, triple and home run and posted a 1.083 slugging percentage.
• At the plate, Morgan Smith hit. 375 with a triple, home run and team-leading seven RBIs, while inside the circle she captured a complete game shutout of host UNC with six strikeouts.
• In the 7-1 victory over Leopards, Rutgers reached double-figure hits for the sixth time this season. Jillian Anderson, Sand and Leilani Chavez were all 2-for-2 in the game. Anderson plated a pair of runs, Chavez scored one and Sand registered an RBI. Lincavage scored twice and Lauren Punk collected a two-RBI double. Laurelai DePew garnered her first start as a Scarlet Knight while Georgia Ingle got the win. Both pitchers struck out two along the way.
• Against the host Tar Heels, Rutgers only needed two pitches to take the lead and shutout its ACC host behind a complete game shutout from Smith. Smith went the distance inside the circle for her first shutout of the 2024 campaign giving up five hits, none for extra bases, while fanning six Tar Heels. At the plate, the senior Scarlet Knight connected for her seventh home run of the year. Sand went 2-for-3 scoring the game's opening run, while Lincavage was 2-for-4 including a double with a run scored. LA Matthews and Kayla Bock each had RBI doubles in the win, Chavez added an RBI hit and Anderson went 2-for-2 at the plate.
• In the 3-2 eight-inning setback to the Camels, Rutgers held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth when the Camels tied the game and forced extra innings before plating two with two outs in the eighth for the win. Sand and Matthews scored both RU runs. Matthews was 2-for-3 while five other Scarlet Knights registered a hit. Mattie Boyd tossed 7.2 innings giving up five hits and one earned run while striking out eight Camels.
• RU returned to the win column in a 10-2 win in five innings over the Broncs.  

MARY NUTTER RECAP

• Rutgers went 4-2 at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with victories over Hawaii, UC Riverside, Cal Poly and CSUN.
• Kayla Bock led RU at the pate hitting .474 with nine RBIs on nine hits.
• Katie Wingert also smacked a pair of home runs on the trip hitting .353 with six runs batted in.
• Kyleigh Sand added eight runs and two stolen bases on her return to her home state.
• Morgan Smith hit .400 with three home runs and eight RBIs while tossing 17.0 innings with nine strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA.
• Mattie Boyd finished the California trip 3-1 inside the circle throwing 19.0 innings with 10 total strikeouts.
• Tournament action opened with RU coming back from a 6-1 deficit to take a 14-7 win over Hawaii and open up with a 4-1 edge after one inning in a 7-5 win over UC Riverside.
• RU split day two action dropping an 11-7 decision to LMU before returning to the field to defeat Cal Poly breaking open the game in the top of the third on a two-run blast from Morgan Smith and Kayla Bock adding on with a two-out, two-RBI single.
• Play concluded with the Scarlet Knights exploding for six runs in the ninth for an 8-3 extra innings loss to CSUN before falling 9-1 to BYU.

PANTHER INVITATIONAL RECAP

• Rutgers softball split day one of the Panther Invitational with a no-hitter against Army West Point and a loss to No. 10 Duke with the two squads coming in tied 1-1 into the game's final inning. 
• The Scarlet Knights opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over the Black Knights behind a no-hitter from Mattie Boyd.
• RU went in front against the top ten Blue Devils early as Katie Wingert's sixth home run in seven games put RU up after two innings. Duke, however, tied the game up in the fifth on a home run of their own and added three unearned runs in the seventh to avoid an upset loss.
• Rutgers dropped a pair of contests with host FIU on day two. FIU topped RU in game one, 4-3 and got past the Scarlet Knights in extra innings, 3-2, in bracket play in the No. 2 vs No. 3 game. 
• In game one, Morgan Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs while Kyleigh Sand was 1-for-3 with two runs and moved into a tie for fourth on the career stolen base leaders list. LA Matthews was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Mattie Boyd, meanwhile, went 5.1 innings in her first loss of the season with two strikeouts.
• In game two, Morgan Smith made it back-to-back games with a home run and added a double while tossing a complete game with four strikeouts. She was responsible for both RU's runs scored. She dropped to 2-2 in the circle.
• Rutgers softball closed out its trip to the Panther Invitational with a run-rule shutout of Army, 9-0. Mattie Boyd got the win in the circle while Katie Wingert had hits on all three trips to the plate and knocked in a pair of runs. Wingert was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. The Scarlet Knight catcher also posted her third double of the season. Kyleigh Sand collected a triple, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Kobie Hura was also responsible for a pair of runs coming across home plate. Boyd tossed three innings with four strikeouts as she improved to 4-1 inside the circle.

HOUSTON INVITATIONAL RECAP

•  Rutgers softball celebrated opening day 2024 with a pair of victories. The Scarlet Knights took down Colgate 9-1 in a run-rule five-inning contest and wrapped up the day powering to a 14-5 victory against Indiana State.
• Katie Wingert managed home runs in both contests to move into third all-time at Rutgers in the category while Kyleigh Sand's five runs scored against the Sycamores tied for the most runs in a game in records dating back to 2004.
• In the 9-1 win over Colgate, Mattie Boyd made her Rutgers debut inside the circle allowing only one hit while racking up 11 strikeouts. Kayla Bock was 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs, while Both LA Matthews and Payton Lincavage were 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Katie Wingert gave RU its first home run of the year with a two-run shot to move up on the Rutgers all-time list on her second pitch of the year leading to a 4-1 lead for the Scarlet Knights at the end of one.
• In game two, a 14-5 win over Indiana State,  Kyleigh Sand ended the night going 3-for-5 with five runs and three RBIs. Sand's five runs scored were the most since Stephanie Huang's five scored in a 22-17 win over Michigan State on April 4, 2015. Sand's and Huang's five runs are the most by a Scarlet Knight in a single game in stats dating back to 2004. Adding to the victory was LA Matthews with another strong performance at the plate also going 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs while adding a pair of runs. Maddie Lawson went 2-for-3 with a career-high three runs and two RBIs. Meanwhile, Katie Wingert's first plate appearance of the game resulted in another two-run home run.  Morgan Smith got the win by tossing 4.0 innings with seven strikeouts while adding a two-RBI double. Georgia Ingle threw the final three innings to garner the save, the third of her career.
• On day two, Katie Wingert added three more home runs and five more RBIs in helping lead Rutgers softball to a 4-0 start with a 10-2 victory over the host Cougars and a 7-4 win against Colgate. Mattie Boyd and Morgan Smith both pitched complete game victories while the Scarlet Knight bats produced 26 hits in the day's two games.
• In the first game of day two RU was down early against Houston with the Cougars taking a 2-0 lead in their first at-bat before Rutgers took the lead in the third scoring 10 unanswered runs. Katie Wingert made it the third-straight game with a dinger and ended the game 3-for-4. Morgan Smith posted her first home run of the season and totaled a team-leading three runs. Altogether, 10 different Scarlet Knights registered a hit. Mattie Boyd registered her second-straight complete game allowing two runs on three hits along with a pair of strikeouts to improve to 2-0 inside the circle.
• The Scarlet Knights overcame a 4-0 deficit in game two of day two versus Colgate tying up the game in the top of the fifth and getting three runs in the sixth to take the lead. Katie Wingert helped Rutgers come from behind with a 3-for-3 performance including a pair of home runs and three RBIs to move into a tie for second-all time at Rutgers. Morgan Smith got the win inside the circle tossing a complete game with six strikeouts to up her mark to 2-0 while going 3-for-3 at the plate with her first home run of the season. Kyleigh Sand and LA Matthews also had a pair of hits in the win.
• Rutgers dropped the finale, a 6-3 decision, to Houston. Kayla Bock led RU going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Katie Wingert was 1-for-4 with a double. Georgia Ingle made her first career start going 3.2 innings.

B1G AWARDS

• Katie Wingert was named Big Ten Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/Wilson Selected Top Performer on Feb. 13 after helping Rutgers to a 4-1 opening weekend hitting .444 with five home runs going long in four of five games to move into second all-time at Rutgers in home runs. She also added eight hits, five runs and 10 RBIs and held down a 1.333 slugging percentage in wins over Houston, Colgate and Indiana State.
• Wingert opened the weekend taking her second pitch of the 2024 season deep for a two-run shot and a lead RU would not relinquish in a 9-1 run-rule victory over Colgate.
• Game two saw Wingert with a 3-run blast in her first plate appearance in RU's 14-5 win over Indiana State.
• The home runs continued for Wingert on day two with three total. She went 3-for-4 smacking her first pitch of the third inning over the wall to give Rutgers the lead at 3-2 in the eventual 10-2 victory versus weekend host Houston. Wingert followed with two more dingers in the game that immediately followed in a 7-4 victory over Colgate. Wingert initiated RU's comeback from a four-run deficit with a solo long ball in the third. After RU took the lead in the sixth, Wingert added some cushion with a two-run bomb.
• Her streak of home runs marked the second time Katie Wingert has had at least three consecutive games with home runs. She also went over the fence in consecutive games against Tennessee Tech on March 9, 2018 and Saint Joseph's on March 15, 2019 in her freshman campaign.
• This marks Winger's second Big Ten Weekly Award. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week back on April 19, 2019 after hitting three home runs and driving six during a Big Ten series sweep of Penn State.

PRESEASON PRIMER

• The Rutgers softball team returns 12 letterwinners, including seven starters, and adds seven newcomers to this year's roster. 
• A year ago, Rutgers picked up a 30-win season for the first time since 1994 ending the year at 32-25 overall with its best start since 1980.
• The Scarlet Knights captured its first top-25 victory since 2012 with a win over #18/19 Northwestern, a team that ultimately reached the NCAA Super Regionals.
• RU opened the year at 8-0 for the first time in 43 seasons and finished the nonconference schedule at 23-11.
• The squad returned to the Big Ten Tournament behind a victory over No. 18/19 and Big Ten champion Northwestern, along with Big Ten series sweeps of Illinois and Maryland.
• The Scarlet Knights earned five conference post-season honors with three named Second Team All-Big along with nods to third baseman Payton Lincavage, outfielder/pitcher Morgan Smith and shortstop Kyleigh Sand. Smith was also named Big Ten All-Defense. Morgan Smith and Kyleigh Sand were also named All-Region honorees
• Payton Lincavage was bestowed the prestigious Rawlings Golden Glove Award as the nation's top third baseman having committed only one error the entire season.

UP NEXT

Big Ten action continues for Rutgers softball with a three-game road series at Purdue on March 29-31.

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