BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Rutgers softball returned to the win column with a run-rule nonconference midweek victory.

The Scarlet Knights defeated LIU, 10-2, at the LIU Softball Stadium in five innings behind a pair of home runs and five RBIs from the bat of Payton Lincavage.

The win, which kicked off the first of seven road games for RU, upped the Scarlet Knights' record to 27-18 on the year.

Rutgers 10, LIU 2 - 5 innings

• Payton Lincavage powered two home runs – her seventh and eighth of the year – finishing with five RBIs.
• Joining Lincavage with two runs scored was Kyleigh Sand and Leilani Chavez.
• LA Matthews went 3-for-4 including a double with an RBI and run scored.
• Maddie Lawson collected a pair of RBIs.
• Morgan Smith tossed all five innings to move to 9-9 inside the circle. The senior Scarlet Knight gave up only one earned run on three hits and struck out a trio.

• Rutgers went out to a 4-0 lead to kick off the game. Four batters into the contest, Maddie Lawson collected the first of her two RBIs after her fielder's choice brought home LA Matthews for the first run of the afternoon. Lawson and Leilani Chavez were aboard when Payton Lincavage smacked her first of two home runs over the fence in center to make it 4-0.
• RU added a run in the second inning as Kyleigh Sand took advantage of a wild pitch to make it 5-0.
• LIU's Mari Narvaiz tripled and later scored to put the Sharks onto the scoreboard in the bottom half.
• An outfield miscue in the fourth allowed Narvaiz to reach and later score to cut into the Scarlet Knight lead at 5-2.
• Rutgers, however, countered with five runs in their next at-bat and took down the Sharks 1-2-3 in the bottom half to invoke the run rule. Lincavage got the Scarlet Knights bats going launching the ball over to left-center for her second home run. This time it was a two-run shot extending the RU lead to 7-2. The Scarlet Knights proceeded to collect four straight base hits resulting in an RBI single from Matthews to plate pinch runner Bailey Briggs. The inning continued as Jillian Anderson scored on an obstruction call on a fielder's choice by Morgan Smith followed by Lawson delivering another RBI base hit for a 10-2 advantage.

• The Rutgers softball team returns to Big Ten action at Minnesota this weekend beginning a three-game series with the Golden Gophers starting Friday, April 19.