Rutgers softball finishes with winning record at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
The Rutgers softball team had an impressive weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Scarlet Knights (10-6, 0-0) finished the weekend with a 4-2 record in a packed schedule.
Day one
Rutgers opened up day one with a huge come-from-behind win against Hawaii. The Rainbow Wahine (1-9, 0-0) got the early 1-0 lead in the first and then tacked on another three runs in the second to go up 4-0.
Graduate student catcher Katie Wingert opened up the scoring for the Knights, cracking a home run to left field in the bottom of the second.
Hawaii came right back in the third, adding another two runs before Rutgers had a chance to fight back.
The Knights got back in the game when senior outfielder and pitcher Morgan Smith knocked a two-run shot to cut Rutgers' deficit to three.
Senior outfielder Kayla Bock, who went a perfect 4 for 4 with five runs batted in (RBI) in the game, hit a two-run single to continue the comeback for the Knights, making the score 6-5.
Bock then gave Rutgers its first lead of the day in the fifth with an RBI single.
The Rainbow Wahine came back in the top of the sixth to tie the game, but the Knights got right back to business in the bottom half of the inning, scoring seven runs and sealing a 14-7 victory.
Rutgers finished off day one against UC Riverside.
The Highlanders (3-8, 0-0) got things started, scoring early, but the Knights came out strong themselves.
Graduate student infielder Payton Lincavage was the star for Rutgers in the first, hitting her first home run of the season and putting the Knights at four runs heading into the second inning.
Rutgers continued to tack on runs through the next two innings, giving the team a 7-1 lead going into the fifth inning.
UC Riverside added on a couple of runs in the fifth and the final frame, but the Knights still walked away with the 7-5 win.
Day two
Rutgers split day two of the tournament, starting off with an 11-7 loss to Loyola Marymount.
The Lions (5-10, 0-0) got to an early start with a two-run homer from Izzy Jamgotchian. Senior shortstop Kyleigh Sand got the Knights within one, scoring on an error by Loyola Marymount.
The Lions then had a massive seven-run second inning, taking a 9-1 lead.
Rutgers did its best to climb back, but Loyola Marymount would stay on top, scoring another two runs to seal the 11-7 victory.
The Knights bounced back in game two, this time against Cal Poly.
It was Rutgers' turn to have a big game, having a seven-run third inning, going up 8-1 after three.
Smith was responsible for two runs with a homer to center field.
The Mustangs (7-6, 0-0) battled back, getting within one, but the Knights were able to shut them down, clinching the 8-7 victory.
Day three
On the final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rutgers started off with an extra-innings win against CSUN.
The Knights got right to work with an RBI single from Lincavage to give them the early lead.
The Matadors (11-3, 0-0) went back and forth with Rutgers, forcing the game into extra innings.
The Knights had a massive ninth inning, scoring six runs and sealing the 8-3 win.
The team went into its final game of the tournament on Saturday night against BYU.
The Cougars (12-3, 0-0) struck first in the nighttime matchup, scoring six in the opening two innings.
Rutgers had a much quieter night, scoring its lone run of the game in the third.
BYU tacked on another three runs near the end of the game, finishing 9-1 ahead of the Knights.
Rutgers now looks ahead to the UNC Tournament. The Knights will face Campbell on Friday morning before taking on North Carolina later that day.
For more updates on the Rutgers softball team, follow @TargumSports on X.
To view more of Allison Girardi's work, follow @allisongirardii on X.
