PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers opened up the Nebraska series not only with a 9-3 victory but graduate student catcher Katie Wingert was crowned as the all-time Scarlet Knight home run leader with her 41st home run of her career.

The win improved RU to 26-16 overall and 8-4 in Big Ten play in its fifth-straight victory. Nebraska fell to 23-16 overall and 6-3 in league action.

Altogether five balls left the field between the two teams on a blustery day at the RU Softball Complex.

It was Nebraska with a lead after the Cornhuskers' first batter went out of the park, but Rutgers powered back with Morgan Smith's 18th home run of the 2024 campaign with a two-run shot in the bottom half of the first. While the visitors came back with a two-run long ball of their own, Wingert's 12th home run of the year and her record-breaking 41st of her career powered the Scarlet Knights ahead for good.
 

Rutgers 9, Nebraska 3

• Rutgers scored nine runs on eight hits including home runs from Morgan Smith, Katie Wingert and LA Matthews.
• Smith's long ball was her 18th of the season moving into a tie for second on the single-season leaders list alongside teammate Katie Wingert who collected 18 her freshman season in 2019. The home run also moved her into a tie for sixth on the all-time RU home run leaders list with 23. The senior Scarlet Knight also added two runs, one off her home run and another on a stolen base.
• Wingert's home run moved her past Jackie Bates (2012-15) as Rutgers' career home run leader and marked her 11th home run of the 2024 season.
• LA Matthews belted her first career home run and also notched a two-RBI triple.
• Kyleigh Sand was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
• Megan Herka also drove in a run with a base hit pinch hitting as did Payton Lincavage on a sac fly.
• Mattie Boyd went the distance for the 14th time this season improving to 15-6. She registered five strikeouts.

• Nebraska managed a 1-0 lead five pitches into the contest as leadoff Billie Andrews homered to center.
• Rutgers, however, came back with their own home run courtesy of the Big Ten leader in the category, Morgan Smith. Smith drilled a two-run shot to left for a 2-1 RU edge.
• The Cornhuskers took back the lead, 3-2, with a two-run long ball in the top of the second off the bat of Katelyn Caneda into center.
• The Scarlet Knights took the lead in the third. Kyleigh Sand led off with a single to right while Morgan Smith walked and Sand proceeded to catch the Cornhuskers off guard in stealing third. Sand then scored her second run of the game tagging up on what looked to be a sac fly by Payton Lincavage that was dropped in right field. Lincavage and Smith then performed a double steal with Smith scoring for a 4-2 advantage.
• LA Matthews led off the fifth with her first career long ball and three batters later Katie Wingert went over the wall in left-center for her historic home run and a 6-3 RU lead.
• RU plated three more in the sixth. On her birthday, Leilani Chavez doubled to left while Megan Herka pinch-hit hit coming through with an RBI single on the left side. Jillian Anderson and Sand were both aboard for Matthews to bounce the ball off the right-field wall for a triple and two more Scarlet Knight runs.

• The Rutgers softball series with Nebraska continues on Saturday, April 13 at 3 p.m.
• Admission to all games at the Rutgers Softball Complex is free. Fans can click here to register for parking.