Former Scarlet Knights Morgan Smith & LA Matthews Playing In LPSF Championship
Jul 17 | Softball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Former Scarlet Knights Morgan Smith and LA Matthews are squaring off in the Women's Premier Softball League (LPSF) championship.
Smith, who is playing for Prodigiosas de Sabana Grande, and Matthews, a member of Valencianas de Juncos, clash in the 2026 Crown Series in a best-of-seven starting Thursday, July 16 at Felipe Diaz Park in Juncos, Puerto Rico.
During the season, all three regular-season meetings between the teams were decided by a single run and went into extra innings.
The Valencianas, competing in their first final series since 2022, are seeking their second championship in franchise history and their first since 2008. The Prodigiosas will attempt to claim the franchise's first title after finishing as runners-up in 2023.
All games in the best-of-seven series will be broadcast live on YouTube.
Game Updates:
Game One: Juncos Valencianas defeated Sabana Grande Prodigiosas, 7-0, in six innings. Juncos took a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run, while L.A. Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to center for a 3-0 lead.
Game Two: Sabana Grande Prodigiosas equaled the series with a 3-0 shutout delivered by Morgan Smith in the circle. Smith got the complete game shutout, giving up only two hits, three walks and double-digit strikeouts.
Game Three: Morgan Smith got the win in Sabana Grande's 2-1 win to help her squad go up 2-0 in the championship series. Smith tossed seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out nine in the complete game victory. At the plate, she was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. LA Matthews went 1-for-2, driving in Juncos Valencianas' lone run to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth.
Game Four: The Sabana Grande Prodigiosas took a 3-1 lead in the 2026 Crown Series, putting themselves just one win away from winning the crown in a 4-1 victory. Morgan Smith continued to earn wins in the circle, striking out nine batters and allowing only two hits while also scoring in the victory. LA Matthews, meanwhile, captured the Juncos Valencianas' lone run for the second-straight contest.
Game Five: The Juncos Valencianas remain alive after a 1-0 victory. LA Matthews was only one of two Juncos to get a hit off Morgan Smith, who tossed a complete game in the loss for Sabana Grande. The Juncos scored an unearned run off an error in the bottom of the first.
Game Six: The Juncos Valencianas tied the Crown Series and forced a decisive game seven after defeating the Sabana Grande Prodigiosas, 4-3. LA Matthews was 1-for-3 with an RBI as her squad went up 3-0 after four innings and held off a Prodigiosas comeback. Sabana Granded scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, including one from Morgan Smith, to come within a run, but would pull no closer. Smith also tossed the final inning, giving up only one hit while striking out a pair.
Game Seven: Morgan Smith was named the Crown Series MVP as Sabana Grande Prodigoisas earned a 3-2 win for the game seven victory. Smith tossed another complete game and gave up five hits and only one earned run while sending down eight on strikes.
About The Scarlet Knights In The LPSF
During the 2024 season, both Smith and Matthews helped Rutgers to its first-ever back-to-back 30-win seasons, a program record for Big Ten victories and Big Ten series wins and the highest Big Ten Tournament seed since joining the league in 2015.
Smith, who played in center and inside the circle from 2023-24, is one of the most decorated players in Rutgers history. Among her awards for the 2024 season are RU's first-ever NFCA All-America with second team honors, a First Team All-America selection by Softball America, ECAC Player of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten pick and back-to-back appearances on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was the No. 1 two-way player and No. 23 player overall in Softball America's 2024 Top 100 Players List setting the Rutgers records for single-season RBIs (66) while placing her name second in career batting average, eighth in career RBIs (112), ninth in career triples (6), second in season home runs (19), fourth in season hits (69), seventh in season batting average (.408) and tenth in season doubles (14).
Matthews, who primarily played first base from 2024-25, hit .292 with 101 hits, 52 runs, 23 doubles, nine home runs and 75 RBIs in 111 appearances for the Scarlet Knights. In her first season at Rutgers in 2024, Matthews was one of five Scarlet Knights to hit over .300 on the season with a .313 average, 24 runs, 56 hits, a team-high tying 13 doubles, three triples and 24 RBIs. Defensively that season, she led Rutgers with 274 putouts and committed no errors in Big Ten play.
Smith, who is playing for Prodigiosas de Sabana Grande, and Matthews, a member of Valencianas de Juncos, clash in the 2026 Crown Series in a best-of-seven starting Thursday, July 16 at Felipe Diaz Park in Juncos, Puerto Rico.
During the season, all three regular-season meetings between the teams were decided by a single run and went into extra innings.
The Valencianas, competing in their first final series since 2022, are seeking their second championship in franchise history and their first since 2008. The Prodigiosas will attempt to claim the franchise's first title after finishing as runners-up in 2023.
All games in the best-of-seven series will be broadcast live on YouTube.
Game Updates:
Game One: Juncos Valencianas defeated Sabana Grande Prodigiosas, 7-0, in six innings. Juncos took a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run, while L.A. Matthews hit a sacrifice fly to center for a 3-0 lead.
Game Two: Sabana Grande Prodigiosas equaled the series with a 3-0 shutout delivered by Morgan Smith in the circle. Smith got the complete game shutout, giving up only two hits, three walks and double-digit strikeouts.
Game Three: Morgan Smith got the win in Sabana Grande's 2-1 win to help her squad go up 2-0 in the championship series. Smith tossed seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out nine in the complete game victory. At the plate, she was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. LA Matthews went 1-for-2, driving in Juncos Valencianas' lone run to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth.
Game Four: The Sabana Grande Prodigiosas took a 3-1 lead in the 2026 Crown Series, putting themselves just one win away from winning the crown in a 4-1 victory. Morgan Smith continued to earn wins in the circle, striking out nine batters and allowing only two hits while also scoring in the victory. LA Matthews, meanwhile, captured the Juncos Valencianas' lone run for the second-straight contest.
Game Five: The Juncos Valencianas remain alive after a 1-0 victory. LA Matthews was only one of two Juncos to get a hit off Morgan Smith, who tossed a complete game in the loss for Sabana Grande. The Juncos scored an unearned run off an error in the bottom of the first.
Game Six: The Juncos Valencianas tied the Crown Series and forced a decisive game seven after defeating the Sabana Grande Prodigiosas, 4-3. LA Matthews was 1-for-3 with an RBI as her squad went up 3-0 after four innings and held off a Prodigiosas comeback. Sabana Granded scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, including one from Morgan Smith, to come within a run, but would pull no closer. Smith also tossed the final inning, giving up only one hit while striking out a pair.
Game Seven: Morgan Smith was named the Crown Series MVP as Sabana Grande Prodigoisas earned a 3-2 win for the game seven victory. Smith tossed another complete game and gave up five hits and only one earned run while sending down eight on strikes.
About The Scarlet Knights In The LPSF
During the 2024 season, both Smith and Matthews helped Rutgers to its first-ever back-to-back 30-win seasons, a program record for Big Ten victories and Big Ten series wins and the highest Big Ten Tournament seed since joining the league in 2015.
Smith, who played in center and inside the circle from 2023-24, is one of the most decorated players in Rutgers history. Among her awards for the 2024 season are RU's first-ever NFCA All-America with second team honors, a First Team All-America selection by Softball America, ECAC Player of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten pick and back-to-back appearances on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. She was the No. 1 two-way player and No. 23 player overall in Softball America's 2024 Top 100 Players List setting the Rutgers records for single-season RBIs (66) while placing her name second in career batting average, eighth in career RBIs (112), ninth in career triples (6), second in season home runs (19), fourth in season hits (69), seventh in season batting average (.408) and tenth in season doubles (14).
Matthews, who primarily played first base from 2024-25, hit .292 with 101 hits, 52 runs, 23 doubles, nine home runs and 75 RBIs in 111 appearances for the Scarlet Knights. In her first season at Rutgers in 2024, Matthews was one of five Scarlet Knights to hit over .300 on the season with a .313 average, 24 runs, 56 hits, a team-high tying 13 doubles, three triples and 24 RBIs. Defensively that season, she led Rutgers with 274 putouts and committed no errors in Big Ten play.
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