Rutgers Softball Closes Mary Nutter With Win Over UCSD And Meeting Team Japan

Feb 22 | Softball

Box Score - UCSD

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Rutgers softball returned to the win column to close out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, besting UC San Diego, 10-3, on Saturday night.

Juniors Sam Rohwer and Makenna Coleman both collected their first Scarlet Knight home runs and classmate Brooke Shifflett delivered six strikeouts in the victory.

The win evened RU's record on the season at 7-7.

Prior to meeting up with the Titans, Rutgers took on Team Japan in exhibition action.

TEAM JAPAN EXHIBITION

Rutgers faced Team Japan with members of the No. 1-ranked team in the world for five innings in an exhibition game. The Scarlet Knights faced all-star Misaki Katsumata, 2025 World Games bronze medalist Sakura Miwa and 2020 Olympian Miu Goto in the circle, while their teammates collected 14 runs on 13 hits. RU saw hits from Baileigh Burtis, Bailey Briggs, Riley Hwang and Rachel Milan.

Rutgers 10, UC San Diego 3

Softball victory graphic over UCSD featuring Sam Rohwer

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Junior Sam Rohwer and Makenna Coleman both delivered three-run home runs in RU's seven-run bottom of the fifth.
Senior Mia Mitchell drove in two runs on a double and sac fly.
Sophomores Baileigh Burtis and Riley Hwang also sent in a run apiece.
Sophomore Addie Osborne and freshman Rachel Milan added a run each in the victory.
In the circle, right-hander Brooke Shifflett took six Titans down on strikes, one short of tying her career mark set against Murray State last weekend. She went six innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with only one for extra bases.

THE RUNDOWN

Rutgers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never trailed. Jayla Fuller led off, taking first after being hit by a pitch, and made her way to third, where she came on a single to right center from Baileigh Burtis.
Riley Hwang gave RU a 2-0 edge in the fourth. Addie Osborne led off with an infield single, advanced a base on a throwing error, went to third on a Bailey Briggs sac bunt and came home on Hwang's single to left.
UC San Diego came back to knot the score at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. The Titans got three-straight hits starting with Womack's double to right center. She plated on Hermosillo's single to right, while Lily Hermosillo touched home on a Dylan Kunkle single to left center.
The Scarlet Knights exploded for seven on five hits in the bottom half to reclaim the lead for good. Mia Mitchell kicked off the scoring barrage with an RBI double followed by Sam Rohwer going yard for three runs just outside the fence down the right field line. Four batters later, two were aboard for a Makenna Coleman blast to left, giving RU a 9-2 advantage.
The Titans dropped in a run in the sixth after an error brought Arbuckle aboard to score off a Marley Espiau sac fly.
Rutgers added a sac fly of its own in the bottom half. Rachel Milan led off with a double to left and advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on Mitchell's sacrifice.