The start of March brought the Scarlet Knights to a new locale and a new tournament, and Rutgers began the new month with a Friday morning contest against the Lafayette Leopards at the UNC Mizuno Tournament. Lafayette was the first of four opponents in three days during the tournament, which saw RU take on North Carolina, Campbell University and Rider.

GAME ONE: Rutgers opened the scoring against the Leopards in the bottom of the second inning when Maddie Lawson singled to right, driving home Peyton Lincavage for the early 1-0 lead. After a base hit by Leilani Chavez and a sacrifice fly by Kyleigh Sand, the Scarlet Knights had given starting pitcher Laurelai DePew a 3-0 lead.

Rutgers threatened again in the bottom of the third, but with bases loaded and one out Kayla Bock lined into a double play, allowing Lafayette starting pitcher Morrigan Gardiner to get out of the jam.

Georgia Ingle replaced DePew in the circle to begin the fourth, and RU added a run in the bottom of the frame to extend their lead to 4-0.

Lafayette threatened in the top of the fifth, getting two on with none out, but Ingle was able to get the next two batters to fly out. An infield single by center fielder Mary Grace O'Neill loaded the bases before Ingle struck out Kylee Sweet to keep Lafayette off the board.

But the Knights broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning with a four-hit, three-run rally to extend their lead to 7-0.

While Lafayette managed to scratch out a run in the top of the seventh, Ingle shut the door on them, and the Scarlet Knights took a 7-1 victory, with Ingle collecting her first win of the season.

The Knight Report’s three stars of the game:

First star of the game: Jillian Anderson. 2-for-2, two runs scored, hit by pitch, walk.

Second star of the game: Payton Lincavage. 1-for-2, two runs scored, hit by pitch, walk, stolen base.

Third star of the game: Leilani Chavez. 2-for-2, one RBI, one run scored.

GAME TWO: After Sand singled in the top of the first, she raced home on a double off the bat of L.A. Matthews, giving the Scarlet Knights the early 1-0 lead over the UNC Tarheels on Saturday afternoon.

Timely hits in the top of the fourth by Kayla Bock and Chavez extended the RU lead to 3-0, while starting pitcher Morgan Smith was busy shutting down the Tarheels on her way to a complete-game, five-hit, 4-0 shutout victory.

The Knight Report’s three stars of the game:

First star of the game: Morgan Smith. Seven-inning complete-game win, six strikeouts. 1-for-4 at the plate, home run, one RBI, one run scored.

Second star of the game: Jillian Anderson. 2-for-2, walk, sacrifice fly.

Third star of the game: Payton Lincavage. 2-for-4, double, one run scored.

GAME THREE: The second game on Saturday afternoon saw the Scarlet Knights take on the Campbell Fighting Camels. Once again, the Knights jumped out into the lead when catcher Katie Wingert singled in the top of the third inning, driving home L.A. Matthews to give RU a 1-0 lead.

Campbell tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Makayla McClain singled home right fielder Allyiah Swiney.

But, while she was masterful in the circle, Rutgers’ starting hurler Mattie Boyd was locked in a pitchers’ duel with Campbell’s Megan Gregory. Ultimately, the lack of run support caused a stellar effort by Boyd to be wasted as the game went into extra innings.

Despite taking the lead 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning, the Knights could not close the game out for their star pitcher.

In the bottom of the inning, an infield error allowed two runs to cross the plate, giving the Camels a come-from-behind win, 3-2, in extra innings.

The Knight Report’s three stars of the game:

First star of the game: L.A. Matthews. 3-for-3, double, one run scored.

Second star of the game: Mattie Boyd. 7.2 innings pitched, eight strikeouts, one earned run, five hits allowed.

Third star of the game: Katie Wingert. 1-for-4, one RBI.

GAME FOUR: That the Scarlet Knights would travel south to face the Rider Broncs would not normally be something out of the ordinary, but when the two teams take the field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina instead of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, it is a bit unusual.

But that is exactly what happened in the final game of the tournament for the Knights, as they closed out their time at the Mizuno Tournament on Sunday morning.

Once again it was DePew taking the circle for the Scarlet Knights, this time squaring off against junior Kathryn Schmierer for the Broncs.

The game started at 9:00 a.m., but before many fans had even reached their seats, a triple by Smith put Rutgers up 2-0. With one out and Smith on third, Lincavage drove a home run to left center field and the Scarlet Knights had doubled their lead to 4-0. By the time it was over, Rutgers had batted around to start the game, staking DePew to a 7-0 advantage.

The Knights added one in the third when Smith reached on a fielding error, and while Rider matched them in the bottom of the frame, DePew was cruising.

A Rider home run in the fourth cut the lead to 8-2, but when Smith hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, the Rutgers lead was pushed to eight runs. Ingle then came in to pitch a scoreless bottom of the fifth, and the Scarlet Knights took a run-rule victory, 10-2, enabling DePew to record her first win of the season.

The Knight Report’s three stars of the game:

First star of the game: Payton Lincavage. 3-for-4, home run, triple, two RBIs, one run scored.

Second star of the game: Laurelai DePew. Four innings pitched, first victory, two earned runs, two strikeouts.

Third star of the game: Kyleigh Sand. 3-for-3, double, walk, stolen base, one RBI, two runs scored.

Now 13-7 on the season, the Scarlet Knights next travel to Fresno, Calif. to take part in the Bulldog Classic tournament beginning on Saturday, March 9. Over the three days of the tournament, Rutgers will go up against Cal State Northridge, Nevada, and Fresno State.