Rutgers softball drops 2 out of 3 games against Purdue
The Rutgers softball team dropped 2 out of 3 home games against Purdue this weekend. The Scarlet Knights (27-12, 4-2) were able to grab their one victory yesterday against the Boilermakers (17-19, 2-6).
The series began with a close game on Friday afternoon. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when junior outfielder Morgan Smith doubled to left field, bringing home senior infielder Payton Lincavage and junior utility Kobie Hura. Those would be the only runs Rutgers would score for the whole game.
Purdue was able to make a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. The Boilermakers got three hits and drove in 3 runs to take a 1-run lead.
Those would be the last runs of the game as Purdue achieved a 3-2 victory.
Freshman pitcher Raimy Gamsby pitched in the circle for 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs. Graduate student pitcher Jaden Vickers closed out the game by throwing 1.1 shutout innings.
In the second game on Saturday afternoon, the Knights fell to the Boilermakers 6-3. Despite the 3-run victory, the game had to be decided in extra innings.
Purdue started the scoring, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Boilermakers would bring home another run in the top of the second inning, but Rutgers responded in the bottom of the second inning when freshman utility and infielder Calista Collins singled to left field to bring home fifth-year senior catcher Katie Wingert.
Purdue would score another run to expand its lead, but in the sixth inning, junior shortstop Kyleigh Sand and Lincavage both scored to tie the game at 3-3.
The seventh inning was scoreless for both teams, which sent the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth inning, Alex Echazarreta hit a 2-run home run to give the Boilermakers the lead. Later in the inning, they scored an additional run to put the game out of reach for the Knights.
Rutgers won the series finale 9-0 earlier afternoon. The game only lasted five innings due to softball’s run rule.
The Knights began the game by scoring 5 runs in just the first inning. Wingert started off the scoring by hitting a 2-run home run over the left field wall. Freshman pitcher Ryann Orange and junior outfielder Kayla Bock both hit doubles to bring home an additional 3 runs.
No more runs would cross the plate until the bottom of the fourth inning when Rutgers scored 4 more runs. Once again, Wingert started the scoring, hitting a run batted in double to left center field to bring home Sand.
Sophomore infielder Maddie Lawson then singled to left field, bringing home junior outfielder Leilani Chavez and sophomore pitcher and outfielder Lilly Orozco. Lawson scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Vickers pitched in the circle for the Knights for all five innings, getting eight strikeouts and allowing no runs.
Rutgers will next face off against Maryland in a doubleheader on Wednesday. The first game will start at 1 p.m. at the Rutgers Softball Complex on Livingston campus. The Knights will then travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State in a weekend series.
For more updates on the Rutgers softball team, follow @TargumSports on Twitter.
