PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers softball returned to the win column on Saturday afternoon, snapping a nine-game losing streak in taking an 8-7 win over Illinois in game two of the series.
Both freshman Baileigh Burtis and redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs went yard for their first career home runs, and freshman right-hander Ella Harrison picked up the win, tossing her 200^th strikeout of the season.

Rutgers 8, Illinois 7

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• ​Freshman Baileigh Burtis went 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs and three runs scored with her first career home run tying the ball game at 2-2 in the first inning.
• Freshman Bailey Briggs hit 2-for-2 with her home run giving RU the lead for good in the third inning.
• Senior Jillian Anderson batted 2-for-3 with three runs scored including what would become the eventual game-winning run in the fifth. Anderson captured a pair of doubles and two RBIs.
• Freshman Addie Osborne was 2-for-3 with a run scored with classmate Kelsey Hoesktra pinch hitting to record a hit and run scored.
• Laurelai DePew got the start going three innings and giving up two runs on six hits and struck out a pair. Ella Harrison got the win improving to 12-17 in the circle. In four innings of work, Harrison gave up two earned runs on three hits and struck out three to become the first Scarlet Knight with 200 strikeouts in a single season.

THE RUNDOWN

• It was a 2-2 ball game after one complete inning of play. Illinois' Stevie Meade opened play with a double, advanced on a sac bunt from Keirys Click and scored on a wild pitch. After two more Fighting Illini base hits and another wild pitch, Paige Bermeyer sent in an RBI base hit to double for the 2-0 edge. Rutgers, however, punched back as Baileigh Burtis took her first pitch of the day over the wall in left for two runs in her first Scarlet Knight dinger to knot the score at 2-2.
• Rutgers took the lead for good in the third. Bailey Briggs sent a shot over the wall to left as well, also for her first career home run. Burtis would plate again, coming home after a dropped ball in the outfield gave the Scarlet Knight the opening to put RU up 4-2.
• Burtis continued with another RBI in the fourth. Her single to center pushed across Jillian Anderson extending the Scarlet Knight advantage to 5-2.
• The Fighting Illini cut into the lead in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third, Adisyn Caryl singled thru the left side and an Ella Cushing sac fly saw Illinois trail 5-4.
  Rutgers, however, responded with a trio of runs in the bottom half. Anderson's second double of the day sent in two runs and Burtis registered her fourth RBI of the day as Anderson scored on her fielder's choice.
• A pair of infield errors proved costly in the seventh for the Scarlet Knights as it allowed Illinois to pull within a run on a three-run home run from Cushing. Ella Harrison, however, shut down the Fighting Illini comeback striking out the next two batters swinging. 

UP NEXT

The Rutgers-Illinois series concludes on Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. on Senior Day. Scarlet Knights Jillian Anderson, Laurelai DePew, Georgia Ingle and LA Matthews honored following the game. 

Follow Rutgers softball on Facebook, X and Instagram.