Bates Becomes All-Time Home Run Leader

Saturday, April 25

University Park, Pa.

3:00 PM

Rutgers University

26-16, 10-9

Penn State

26-24, 8-11

Rutgers

Penn State

Apr 25 | Softball

Box Score

April 25, 2015

Final Stats

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (April 25, 2015) -- Despite homers from senior Jackie Bates (Lincroft, N.J.) and freshmanSierra Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.), the Rutgers softball team dropped the middle contest of its three-game series to Penn State at Beard Field on Saturday afternoon.

Rutgers fell to an overall mark of 26-16 and a 10-9 mark in Big Ten play, while Penn State moved to 26-24 overall and 8-11 in the league. PSU clinched the series between the squads with today's win.

Bates led the Scarlet Knights with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, including the 35^th homer of her career to become RU's all-time leader in the record books. Sierra Maddox added her fourth home run of the year. Senior Chandler Howard (North Wilmington, Del.) registered her 200^th career hit in the loss.

The Scarlet Knights got off to a huge start to open the contest. Following back-to-back hits from Howard and Bates, freshman Rebecca Hall (Fairfax, Va.) contributed one of her own to load the bases. Sierra Maddoxthen added RU's fourth consecutive hit of the frame, driving in Howard and Bates to give RU a 2-0 lead.

Junior Dresden Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.) backed up the offense by retiring three straight Nittany Lions at the plate to maintain the Scarlet Knights lead after the first inning of play.

A solo home run from Alyssa VanDerveer put Penn State on the board, making it a two run game. After the Nittany Lions were able to load the bases, Lexi Knief delivered a double to send two runners in, putting PSU in front, 3-2. Sophomore Shayla Sweeney (Barrington, N.J.) entered the circle for RU to break up the rally. However, the Nittany Lions would go on to add five more runs as they generated an 8-2 advantage.

Rutgers responded by quickly loading the bases in the top of the third via a walk and two hits. Junior Melanie Slowinski (Severn, Md.) registered the third straight hit from the RU bats to send Bates home, bringing the score to 8-3.

The Nittany Lions countered with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the frame to extend its lead to 12-3.

In the top of the fifth, Sierra Maddox registered a two-run homer to cut into the deficit, 12-5. Sweeney kept the score there, holding the Nittany Lions scoreless for the next two frames.

Leading off the top of the seventh, Bates crushed her 17th home run of the season en route to topping the Rutgers' career record. However, it was not enough to lift RU to victory.

RU and PSU wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET at Beard Field.

KNIGHT NOTES

A total of five Scarlet Knights added two hits in the game -- Chandler Howard, Jackie Bates, Jordan Whitley, Rebecca Hall and Sierra Maddox.
Jackie Bates registered her 17th home run of the season to become RU's all-time leader with 35 career homers. She surpassed former Scarlet Knight Britney Lindley, who recorded 34 homers from 2009-2012.
Chandler Howard registered her 200^th career hit, ranking third in the career record books.
Sierra Maddox registered her fourth collegiate homer.
Rebecca Hall extended her hit streak to 10 consecutive games.
Stephanie Huang and Sierra Maddox moved their hit streaks to four straight.
Jackie Bates has reached base in 10 consecutive contests.

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- RU-