PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers softball dropped the series finale with Maryland on a blustery afternoon at the RU Softball Complex as the Terps came back to top the Scarlet Knights, 11-7.

It was a high-scoring affair early as RU came back from an early deficit to lead 7-6 at the end of two played. Maryland, however, came back to tie the game in the third and take the lead in the fifth before adding insurance runs in the sixth.

Maryland 11, Rutgers 7

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Graduate student LA Matthews was 2-for-4 with a home run and two-run double.
• Freshman Jayden Hutchison was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
• Senior Jillian Anderson also added a run scored and run batted in.
• Redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs also contributed a pair of runs with freshmen Kelsie Riggan and Jayla Fuller also coming across home plate in the loss.
• Inside the circle, freshman Kelsey Hoekstra got the start, giving up six runs on six hits in 1.2 innings of work. Classmate Ella Harrison was the pitcher of record going four innings allowing four earned runs with four strikeouts to drop to 9-9 on the year.

THE RUNDOWN

• There were home runs a plenty to start the game with four total in the first two innings of play and five overall.
• Maryland took advantage of the wind four batters in on a Sydney Lewis two-run home run to left.
• Rutgers, however, did the same thing in its first at-bat of the afternoon. Three batters into the lineup, LA Matthews went deep to right for a two-run blast. Jayla Fuller would later put RU up 3-2. After hit at the plate and advancing to third on a single to right center from Jayden Hutchison, the freshman outfielder scored on the bad throw to second looking to catch Hutchison stealing.
• The Terps used a pair of two-run dingers in the second to take back the lead. Mazie MacFarlane went over the wall in center and Matti Benson carried her long ball into left to put the visitors up, 6-3.
• The Scarlet Knights, however, came back with four runs on five hits for a 7-6 edge at the bottom the inning. Gaelen Kelly led off with a double to left. After Kelsie Riggan took over base running duties, the Scarlet Knight advanced to third on a groundout by Addie Osborne and scored as Jillian Anderson beat out the throw on her bunt for the RBI. Bailey Briggs made her way to the bases after being hit by a pitch, setting up LA Matthews to drive in two runs on a double. Matthews later scored on a Hutchison infield single.
• Maryland knotted the score at 7-7 in the third. Sammi Woods doubled down the left field line and came home on a single to left center from Madison Runyan.
• Woods also plated the go-ahead run in the fifth for the Terps. After doubling down the left field line again and moving to third on a wild pitch, the Terp was able score off a passed ball.
• The Terps added three more in the sixth off Lewis' second two-run home run of the day and a sac fly from Bailey Murphy.

UP NEXT

Rutgers softball heads out to the west coast for spring break. The Scarlet Knights will meet Oregon State on Tuesday, March 18 and Portland State on Wednesday, March 19 in mid-week nonconference action before traveling up to Seattle to take on Washington for the first time in Big Ten action. The Scarlet Knights and Huskies play two on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22.

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