PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers softball took an early 1-0 at the end of one inning of play in the series opener with Wisconsin on Friday at the RU Softball Complex, but the Badgers came back to take game one, 5-2.

Payton Lincavage put the Scarlet Knights onto the scoreboard with an RBI double but the Badgers used a three-run home run from Blomberg in the third to go ahead.

The loss dropped the Scarlet Knights to 21-16 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play.

Rutgers 5, Wisconsin 2

• Payton Lincavage and Morgan Smith were both 2-for-4 with an RBI. Lincavage's double moved her into a tie for seventh all-time at Rutgers with 38 in her career. Smith's RBI, meanwhile, moved her into a three-way tie for eighth in the single-season records "On The Banks" with 43 in 2024.
• Smith was pitcher of record going 4.0 innings with two strikeouts. She fell to 8-8 on the year. Georgia Ingle, meanwhile, tossed 3.0 innings giving up one run on two hits.

• It was the Scarlet Knights with another early lead as four batters into the game RU held a 1-0 edge. LA Matthews reached on a bunt, stole second and came home on a Payton Lincavage double to center. The ball hit the top of the wall and bounced back into play.
• Wisconsin took the lead in the third off a three-run home run to left by Hilary Blomberg. The Badgers put two aboard on a walk and a single with two outs before the blast put Wisconsin up 3-1.
• The Badgers also added runs in the top of the fourth and fifth. Peyton Bannon doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored off a bunt from the bat of Alivia Bark in the fourth. The fifth saw the bases loaded leading to a Blomberg sac fly to center for a 5-1 advantage.
• Rutgers plated another run in the bottom of the fifth. Kyleigh Sand led off the Scarlet Knight at-bat with a single and got herself into scoring position by stealing second. Morgan Smith singled to left field with a hard bounce off the ball to score Sand. While it cut the RU deficit to 5-2 it would be the final scoring of the game.

• Rutgers softball returns to action in game two against Wisconsin on Saturday, April 6 at noon in front of the BTN cameras. Kylen Mills and Boo de Oliveira will be on the call. 
• Admission to call games at the Rutgers Softball Complex is free. Fans can click here to register for parking.