AUBURN, Ala. – Rutgers softball dropped both games on day two of the Jane B. Moore Memorial Tournament on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights dropped the opening game, 5-3, against Louisiana and fell 3-2 to McNeese State.

In the second game of the weekend with the Ragin' Cajuns, RU came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game up at 3-3 heading into the sixth inning before the opposition pushed across two more for the win.

In the first of two meetings this weekend with the Cowgirls, it was a 2-2 ball game heading into the final inning before McNeese State scored the go-ahead run on a miscue.

Louisiana 5, Rutgers 3

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs and graduate student LA Matthews were both 2-for-4 with a run batted in. Matthews recorded her RBI on her fourth double of the season.
• Senior Jillian Anderson added a double and run scored.
• Also scoring were freshman Allison Amadio and junior Siera Hoekstra.
• Freshman right-hander Dezaria Johnson got her first career start in the circle and went 3.0 innings, giving up three runs on five hits. Senior Laurelai DePew was the pitcher of record and threw 2.2 innings with two runs on two hits. Freshman Ella Harrison closed out the game to toss the final 1.1 innings of play with a strikeout.
   

THE RUNDOWN

• The Ragin' Cajuns struck first, scoring three in the top of the third. Louisiana's bunting put two runners into scoring position to set up Cecilia Vasquez to send both home on a double to left center. Vasquez scored two batters later on a Laney Credeur single thru the left side of the infield.
• Rutgers got onto the scoreboard in the bottom half. Jillian Anderson doubled to left center and came home as Bailey Briggs ripped the ball down the left field line.
• RU made it a tied ball game at 3-3- in the fifth. Allison Amadio walked to lead off and scored as Kelsey Hoekstra pinch-hit for her sister, Siera Hoekstra, and collected an RBI double to left center. Siera came back into the game on second base and plated the tying run on an LA Matthews double to center.
• The Ragin' Cajuns, however, took back the lead at their next at-bat. With runners on first and second, Louisiana used back-to-back RBI singles from Kayla Falterman and Vasquez to pull ahead, 5-3.
• The Scarlet Knights had a chance in the bottom half. RU loaded the bases with two outs. Addie Osborne and Siera Hoekstra both walked and Allison Amadio beat out the throw on a slow roller to first. However, the bases were left loaded for the Ragin' Cajuns to head into the final inning ahead by two.

McNeese State 3, Rutgers 2

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Graduate student LA Matthews was responsible for pushing across both RU runs with a base hit in the fifth.
• Senior Jillian Anderson, redshirt freshman Hailey Stripling and redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs each had two hits in the loss.
• Anderson and pinch runner Kelsie Riggan scored the two runs.
• Freshman Ella Harrison went the distance for the sixth time this season. No runs were earned as she allowed four hits and struck out seven.

THE RUNDOWN

• McNeese State scored two runs in the fourth, one coming off a wild pitch and another off a passed ball.
• Rutgers, however, tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth. Gaelen Kelly led off with a walk, with Kelsie Riggan entering the game as a pinch runner, and Jillian Anderson singled to have two aboard for LA Matthews post two RBIs on a hit to right. The Scarlet Knights proceeded to load the bases, but the side was retired without getting the go-ahead run in.
• In the top of the seventh, McNeese State's Eyster reached on an error and made her way to third on a wild pitch and passed ball. Looking for the potential pickoff at third, the ball was misplayed allowing the Cowgirls to take the lead.

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball closes out the Jane B. Moore Memorial on Sunday in a rematch with McNeese State at 10 a.m. (ET).

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