STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – It was a B1G series finale battle between Rutgers softball and host Penn State with a total of 25 runs and 30 hits, but ultimately, the victory went to the Nittany Lions by a score of 15-11.

Penn State 15, Rutgers 11

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Rutgers tied its season high with 12 hits, including multiple hits from redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs, senior Jillian Anderson and junior Siera Hoekstra.
• Briggs went 3-for-5, tying her career-high in hits, while Anderson was 2-for-3. Both logged doubles and two runs scored apiece.
• Hoekstra went 2-for-4 with a two-run double.
• Freshman Baileigh Burtis notched a pair of RBIs on her first career triple and sac fly.
• Freshmen Addie Osborne and Kelsie Riggan each had extra base RBIs. Osborne also scored twice.
• Senior Georgia Ingle recorded a pair of RBIs, including a sac fly, and a run scored with graduate student LA Matthews also pushing across an RBI and run scored.
• Freshman Kelsey Hoekstra got the start with senior Laurelai DePew and freshman Ella Harrison also seeing time in the circle. Harrison finished out the final 3.1 innings and captured five strikeouts.

THE RUNDOWN

• Rutgers wasted no time getting onto the scoreboard with five runs after a half-inning in the books. Baileigh Burtis delivered a sac fly and Georgia Ingle drove in two runs on a base hit thru the left side. After a pitching change, RU plated two more off on a double to left center from Siera Hoekstra.
• Penn State evened the game in their first trip to the batter's box behind four hits. Meagan Ricks led off with a double and got an opening to score off an error off a bunt from Kaylie Walters. Haylie Brunson followed with a two-run home run to left. Back-to-back walks and a double stolen base from Brooke Klosowicz and Maddie Gordon put the Nittany Lions in position to score two on a Natalie Lieto single thru the left side to knot the score at 5-5.
• Two batters later, RU was back in front. LA Matthews drove in Jillian Anderson on a double, while Burtis' first career triple to right brought home Matthews for a 7-5 Scarlet Knight edge.
• In the bottom of the inning, it was the Nittany Lions going in front.  Klosowicz sent in two runs on a double right and scored on an infield miscue. Gordon, who reached on the error, scored on a Michaela Barbanente groundout putting PSU up 9-7.
• A pair of home runs, that gave Penn State a new single-season home run record, extended Penn State's advantage to 12-7 in the third. Ricks went over the wall into right for two runs and Klosowicz went to right center for a solo shot.
• A miscue at first allowed Hoekstra to score in the fifth, but the Nittany Lions added another three runs in the bottom half for a 15-8 lead.
• In the bottom of the fifth, PSU knocked out five straight hits to start, including an RBI double by Gordon and a two-run single from Barbanente.
• RU saw momentum in the sixth, cutting its deficit down by three runs. Bailey Briggs started the surge off with a double down the left field line and scored on a Kelsie Riggan double of left center. Riggan later scored on an Addie Osborne double to left center and scored on a Hoekstra single to left center as the Scarlet Knights trailed by the game's final margin.

UP NEXT

The Rutgers softball team is back home for midweek action. The Scarlet Knights host Lehigh on Tuesday, April 8 at 3:30 p.m. before heading out on the road for another Big Ten road clash. Rutgers will take on Michigan on April 12-14 with Monday April 14th's contest airing on BTN.

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