After seeing their eight-game winning streak snapped, the Scarlet Knights softball team had an up-and-down week, capping off their fast start in February with two more victories as the Spring Games ended. For her efforts in those games, infielder Maddie Lawson was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive time this season.
The Knights first posted a 3-2 extra-inning victory against FGCU that saw Jaden Vickers hurl another pitching gem in the early game on Saturday, Feb. 26. Lawson, Kyleigh Sand, and Payton Lincavage each had multiple hits in the game, but the rest of the lineup went hitless in the contest. Fortunately for RU, Vickers was able to ring up eight strikeouts and spread the opposition’s five hits out over the game to impose her will on the Eagles’ lineup.
The late game on Feb. 26 saw plenty of offense, but despite tallying seven runs of their own, the Scarlet Knights’ pitching staff surrendered 10 runs and saw their winning streak come to an end, even though seven different players recorded hits in the game.
The Scarlet Knights closed out the Spring Games on a high note against Cornell, as Vickers struck out 14 Big Red batters as Rutgers cruised to a 3-0 victory on Feb. 27. Ashley Hitchcock provided the offense in the fourth inning with a two-run single that brought home Lincavage and Kiersten Withstandley. That would be all the offense that the Knights would need, but they added a late insurance run with an RBI single from Gabrielle Callaway.
But as the calendar turned to March, so did the fortunes of the Scarlet Knights as they ran into a 5’9” buzzsaw named Karlie Keeney. The sophomore pitcher no-hit the Knights and allowed just one baserunner, when Sand drew a walk. Vickers only pitched one third of an inning allowing three earned runs, giving way to Hitchcock, who fared no better. In all, the Knights were roughed up for 12 runs in the game as the Flames took the victory.
Friday’s game saw a rematch against Liberty, but once again, the Flames’ bats burned Rutgers’ pitching for nine runs in a 9-1 lopsided contest. Hitchcock took the loss, seeing her record fall to 4-4 on the season. In all, the Knights managed just three hits and could plate only one run as Liberty pitcher McKenzie Wagoner improved to 2-2 on the season.
Having dropped their first two games of the Liberty Softball Invitational, the Scarlet Knights’ record now stands at 11-6, and will have a chance to right the ship against James Madison University today at 10 a.m. The Dukes’ record now stands at 3-6 after a defeat on Friday night at the hands of Notre Dame.
The Knights will then face the Fighting Irish on Sunday, March 6 at 11:00 a.m. before tangling with the George Washington University Colonials in the 1:00 p.m. afternoon contest as they conclude play in the Liberty Softball Invitational.
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