PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers' Katie Wingert tied the Scarlet Knight all-time home run records as she blasted a grand slam and 3-run shot in leading RU to a 12-1 win over Wisconsin in five on Saturday at the RU Softball Complex to even the series.

Rutgers, playing for the first time at home in front of the BTN cameras, improved to 22-16 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play.

Rutgers 12, Wisconsin 1 - 5 innings

• Katie Wingert delivered two home runs for her 40th career home run to tie the school record alongside Jackie Bates (2012-15). Altogether the graduate student collected seven RBIs, tying for the second-most in a game in records dating back to 2006. It was the second time this season Wingert produced two dingers in a game also swinging over the fences twice in a 7-4 win over Colgate on Feb. 10. Her grand slam was RU's first in two years with the last coming off the bat of Gabrielle Callaway back on March 25, 2022 at home against Minnesota.
• Morgan Smith also collected a home run for the conference lead in the category with her 14th long ball of the year.
• Maddie Lawson went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
• Bailey Briggs also registered an RBI double.
• Mattie Boyd upped her mark to 12-6 in the circle tossing all five innings for her 11^th complete game of the season. She allowed only one run and two hits while fanning six Badgers.

• Rutgers came out big in their first at-bat scoring five runs on four hits, including home runs from Morgan Smith and Katie Wingert. Smith kicked off RU's barrage of runs on Saturday with a solo shot over the wall in left. Wisconsin followed giving up a pair of walks and a single to load the bases setting up Wingert to blast a full-count to deep center for a grand slam.
• The Scarlet Knights only added more in the second inning as five hits led to six runs and an 11-0 lead. Kyleigh Sand led off the bottom half of the second with a single, advanced to second on LA Matthews' sac bunt and scored on a single up the middle from Smith. Payton Lincavage followed with a base hit allowing Maddie Lawson to collect a pair of RBIs on her double to center. Leilani Chavez walked to have two Scarlet Knights aboard for Wingert to deposit home run number two of the afternoon into left field.
• Wisconsin thwarted the shutout in the third, but it would be the only Badger run of the day. Fiona Girardot notched a sac fly scoring Brooke Kuffel for the visitor's only run.
• RU got the run back though the following inning. In the bottom of the fourth Bailey Briggs used her first pitch to go into left for a double to score Wingert for her third run of the game and the 12-1 edge.

• Rutgers and Wisconsin wrap up play on Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. with the winner taking the series. 
• Admission to all games at the Rutgers Softball Complex is free. Fans can click here to register for parking.