Hughes’ 100th RBI Helps Softball Run-Rule Fordham

Wednesday, March 27

Piscataway, NJ

3:00 PM

Rutgers University

16-14

Fordham

9-18

Fordham

Rutgers

Hughes’ 100th RBI Helps Softball Run-Rule Fordham

Mar 27 | Softball

Box Score Box Score

Senior Jess Hughes has four RBIs, including the 100th of her career

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 27, 2019) – Rutgers softball (16-14) scored in all five innings to win its 2019 home opener at the RU Softball Complex – a 10-2, run-rule victory over Fordham (9-18) on Wednesday afternoon.

QUICK PITCH

Fordham opened the scoring in the top of the first, but the Scarlet Knights answered by scoring at least a run in all five innings of a run-rule shortened victory, powered by senior shortstop Jess Hughes' four RBIs and three more from junior third baseman Anyssa Iliopoulos. Hughes delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the fifth with two outs as her single to center scored a pair of runs.

BALLGAME! Jess Hughes gets career RBI No. 100 (and 101) as #RUSB walks off with the 10-2, run-rule victory over Fordham in five innings! pic.twitter.com/0gHkCLoDyy
— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) March 27, 2019

B1 | ILIOPOULOS HAS POP!

The junior goes yard for the 2-1 lead in the very first inning. pic.twitter.com/IpanUvy75M
— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) March 27, 2019

STANDOUT STATS

Freshman starting pitcher Corah Price moved to 8-4 on the year with her complete-game effort, scattering five hits and two walks while allowing one earned run and striking out one.
Hughes was 2-for-4 and surpassed 100 career RBIs with her four on Wednesday. She also hit her team-leading 11^th double of the year, and now sits at 101 career RBIs.
Iliopoulos had a hit in all three of her at-bats with a two-run home run in the first to get Rutgers on the board, and an RBI single in the fourth.
Spots 7-8-9 in the batting order all had at least a hit and a run scored apiece – senior center fielder Nicolette Anico (1-for-2, 2 runs), sophomore catcher Christine Malito (1-for-3, 1 run) and senior left fielder Adriana Burcar (1-for-2, 2 runs).

THE RUNDOWN

Fordham went ahead 1-0 after a leadoff double came around to score on a passed ball.
Iliopoulos' sixth home run of the year cleared the right-center field fence with two outs in the bottom of the first.
Hughes had a pair of two-run hits, the first of which coming in the bottom of the second. Her deep fly to right hit off the wall and allowed Anico and Burcar to score for a 4-1 lead following their infield singles.
Sophomore Madyson Cole added a sacrifice fly in the third before an error an RBI hits by freshman second baseman Aleah Marra and Iliopoulos made it 8-1 in the fourth.
The Rams got one back in the top of the fifth, but Rutgers ended the game on Hughes' two-run single. Her clutch hit came after a Malito single and a perfect sacrifice by Burcar to place both runners in scoring position to end the contest.

KNIGHT NOTES

Rutgers has scored in the first inning 15 times, and in 10 of the last 14 games.
Rutgers improves to 12-1 when scoring six or more runs.
The Scarlet Knights cut Fordham's all-time lead in the series to 5-4 and disrupted a five-game winning streak over Rutgers since 2012.
Hughes, who transferred from Fordham following her sophomore season, tallied 62 RBIs as a Ram before getting 39 with Rutgers to this point for her 101 career RBIs.
Iliopoulos took back the team lead in RBIs this season with 28.

UP NEXT
Rutgers hosts No. 23 Michigan in a three-game Big Ten Conference series from Friday through Sunday, March 29-31 at the RU Softball Complex, with Friday's opener set for 3 p.m.

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