Softball Shutouts Bethune Cookman, Falls Short Against Cal St - Fullerton In Day One Mary Nutter Action

Feb 19 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score - Game 1 - Bethune Cookman Box Score - Game 2 - Cal St - Fullerton

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Rutgers softball split its opening day at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Stadium on Thursday.

Rutgers garnered its second shutout of the season as Brooke Shifflett collected a complete-game victory and Baileigh Burtis went yard and collected four RBIs in leading Rutgers to a 6-0 win over Bethune-Cookman.

The Scarlet Knights came back against Cal-St Fullerton in the bottom of the third to knot the score at 3-3, but the Titans added two runs in the fourth and a trio in the sixth and staved off a seventh-inning rally fueled by a two-run home run by Addie Osborne as RU fell 8-5.

Rutgers 6, Bethune Cookman 0

Softball victory graphic over Bethune Cookman featuring Brooke Shifflett -

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Sophomore Baileigh Burtis posted a career-high four RBIs and registered her first home run of the season with a three-run shot going 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
Classmate Jayla Fuller was 2-for-3 with a triple and pair of runs scored.
Sophomore Addie Osborne and freshman Eva Garofalo also scored runs in the victory.
Junior Brooke Shifflett moved to 2-2 on the year her first complete game in the Scarlet Knight uniform. Going the distance, she gave up four hits, one walk and struck out four.

THE RUNDOWN

Jayla Fuller led off the contest with a triple to left and came home on a Baileigh Burtis single to left.
Rutgers made it four runs on five hits in the third. Fuller and Hailey Stripling each collected base hits, setting up Burtis for a three-run shot just over the fence in left center. Addie Osborne singled to left and scored on a Sam Rohwer base hit to left center to give RU a 5-0 advantage.
Eva Garofalo posted the Scarlet Knights' final run in the sixth. Garofalo led off the inning with a double to right-center, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on the errant throw to third.

Cal St. - Fullerton 8, Rutgers 5

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Sophomore Addie Osborne went 2-for-4 with a double and two-run home run, her fourth of the season.
Siera Hoekstra hit 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
Mia Mitchell and Sam Rohwer both collected doubles. Mitchell finished 2-for-4 while Sam Rohwer added a run.
Bailey Briggs also plated a run.
Kelsey Hoekstra dropped to 2-2 going 3.0 innings in the circle, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout. At the plate, Hoesktra batted in a run.
Kassandra Gewecke tossed three innings and Marley Caldwell saw action in the final inning. Both Scarlet Knights fanned a pair of Titans.

THE RUNDOWN

Cal State Fullerton took an early lead as Colby McLinton tripled and scored on a sac fly to center from Alexia Lopez.
Rutgers countered in the bottom of the second, taking a 2-1 edge on a trio of hits. Siera Hoekstra singled up the middle and scored off Sam Rohwer's double to right. Charleigh Schuettler followed with a single to left to plate Rohwer.
The Titans regained the lead, however, in the following inning as Lopez used a two-run home run to put Cal State – Fullerton up 3-2.
The Scarlet Knights punched right back in the bottom half of the third to knot the score at 3-3. Addie Osborne doubled to center and scored on a Kelsey Hoesktra single down the right field line.
Cal State – Fullerton went in front for good in the fourth. Nataly Lozano doubled to right-center while Kate Verhoef reached on a fielder's choice and advanced into scoring position on an error. Jenna Stevens followed with a single to left to score both Titans and give her squad a 5-3 edge.
The Titans added three more in the sixth off four hits. Back-to-back base hits from Sophia Newcomb and Sarah Perez set up an RBI double for McClinton, an RBI ground out from Lopez and an RBI infield single by Sarah Coccillos.
The Rutgers rally in the bottom of the seventh fell short. Bailey Briggs led off with a single down the left field line, setting up Addie Osborne for a two-run home run to center to trail with 8-5. The Scarlet Knights continued their push on a Siera Hoekstra up the middle and a Mia Mitchell double, but the game came to a close as the Titans managed the relay in from right field to catch Hoekstra at home.

UP NEXT

Day two of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Friday will have the Rutgers softball team taking on LMU at 8:30 p.m. (ET) and Utah at 11:00 p.m. (ET) at Big League Dreams Stadium in Cathedral City. Video is available on FloSoftball with live stats available on Statbroadcast.

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