Rutgers University
8-7
FGCU
5-12
Softball Sweeps FGCU On Day One Of Unconquered Invite
Feb 27 | Softball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Rutgers softball made it a sweep of FGCU at JoAnn Graf Field on Friday to open up the Unconquered Invitational.
The Scarlet Knights overcame of 4-0 deficit to come back behind a trio of home runs in the 10-7 win in game one and then exploded for nine runs on six hits in the fourth in the 9-1 game two win in five innings.
Mia Mitchell finished the day 4-for-6 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored.
The two victories upped RU's overall record to 9-7 on the season.
Game 1: Rutgers 10, FGCU 7
| STATISTICALLY SPEAKING |
- Junior Sam Rohwer, sophomore Baileigh Burtis and senior Mia Mitchell all belted home runs in the victory.
- Burtis hit 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Mitchell finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs on a home run and a double and two runs scored.
- Junior Hailey Stripling batted 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and a run scored.
- Sophomore Kelsey Hoekstra got the start, but it was junior Brooke Shifflett who threw 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out eight for the win. Shifflett improved to 4-2 in the circle.
| THE RUNDOWN |
- After a half inning of play, FGCU established a 4-0 edge. With the Eagles in scoring position, Sietske Drijvers put the Eagles on the board with a single and Presley Smith followed with a two-run double to right center. Smith would go on to put FGCU in front 4-0, scoring off an infield error.
- Rutgers came back to tie the game in the top of the third. Riley Hwang led off with a walk and plated RU's first run as Hailey Stripling tripled to the right corner. Charleigh Schuettler followed, dropping into shallow right for Stripling to cross, halving RU's deficit. Two batters later, Sam Rohwer went over the wall in right for a two-run shot and a tie 4-4 ballgame.
- Baileigh Burtis led off the fourth, taking her second pitch deep to left field for a 5-4 RU edge.
- The Scarlet Knights went out of the park for a third time in the fifth. Mia Mitchell hit the light pole in left for a solo shot, extending RU's advantage to 6-4. Scoring continued as a pair of walks and a Burtis single loaded the bases for a Riley Hwang RBI single to right, upping RU's lead to 7-4.
- RU added three more in the sixth. Jayla Fuller was hit by a pitch to lead off, stole second and became another Mitchell RBI on her double to left center. After a Siera Hoesktra walk, Burtis collected another RBI as well, scoring Mitchell on a single to center. Etta Garofalo pinch hit and added an RBI single to right as the Hoekstra run pushed RU ahead 10-4.
FGCU added a run in the sixth. Sietske kicked off the bottom half with a walk, advanced on a wild pitch and reached third on a single. While - Rutgers executed a double play at second and first, Sietske was able to come home for the Eagles to trail 10-5.
- The Eagles got two more runs in the bottom of the seventh for the final margin. Olivia Black pushed across a run on a triple and scored on a groundout. With two outs, FGCU's Mackenzie Leiti doubled, putting the tying run on deck, but Sam Delhoyo made the catch in right to seal the win for the Scarlet Knights.
| KNIGHT NOTES |
- It was the most home runs by the Scarlet Knights in a game since cracking four at Illinois back on March 24, 2023 in a 7-5 win in the Big Ten opener.
- Sam Rohwer hit a home run for the second consecutive game for her second Scarlet Knight home run and the 16th of her career. Burtis belted her second home run of the season and third of her career. Mitchell connected on her first Rutgers home run and 19th of her career.
Game 2: Rutgers 9, FGCU 1 (5)
| STATISTICALLY SPEAKING |
- Rutgers pushed across nine runs on six hits, including a double and grand slam from the bat of Mia Mitchell, in the fourth inning.
- Mitchell finished game two 2-for-2 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
- Sophomores Jayla Fuller and Riley Hwang were both 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored
- Sophomore Baileigh Burtis and freshman Charleigh Schuettler also had an RBI and a score in the fourth inning barrage.
- Freshman righty Kassandra Gewecke got the complete game win, allowing one run on four hits. She walked one while fanning three in her 5.0 innings of work to improve to 3-3.
| THE RUNDOWN |
- The game was scoreless until the fourth inning. Mitchell started off the hits with a double and score on a Riley Hwang double to center. A Makenna Coleman single off the pitch put two aboard as RU produced back-to-back RBI doubles from Charleigh Schuettler and Jayla Fuller for a 3-0 lead. With one out, Sam Rohwer walked to load the bases. From there, Baileigh Burtis walked in a run and Addie Osborne was hit by a pitch to add another run and up RU's lead to 5-0. With the bases still loaded, Mitchell returned to the plate to deliver a 2-1 count to center for a grand slam and a 9-0 Scarlet Knight advantage.
- FGCU avoided the shutout in the fifth. With two outs, Olivia Black singled up the middle, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Tiffany Meek single to right center. Kassandra Gewecke closed the book with the final putout.
| KNIGHT NOTES |
- It was the most runs in an inning by the Scarlet Knights since scoring 10 runs in the first inning at home against Monmouth in an 11-3 win back on March 29, 2022.
- Mitchell's four RBIs marked the third time this season a Scarlet Knight has collected four or more RBIs in a game.
| UP NEXT |
Rutgers softball takes on No. 10 Florida State in day two of the Unconquered Invitational on Saturday, February 28. The doubleheader kicks off at 10 a.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Shifflett, Brooke (4-2)
L: Bacoulis, Julia (2-6)
Batting:
2B: Mitchell, Mia 1
3B: Stripling, Hailey 1
HR: Burtis, Baileigh 1 ; Mitchell, Mia 1 ; Rohwer, Sam 1
RBI: Schuettler, Charleigh 1 ; Hwang, Riley 1 ; Burtis, Baileigh 2 ; Mitchell, Mia 2 ; Rohwer, Sam 2 ; Garofalo, Etta 1 ; Stripling, Hailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schuettler, Charleigh 1 ; Osborne, Addie 1 ; Hwang, Riley 1 ; Burtis, Baileigh 1 ; Mitchell, Mia 2 ; Fuller, Jayla 1 ; Hoekstra, Siera 1 ; Rohwer, Sam 1 ; Stripling, Hailey 1
SB: Fuller, Jayla 1
HBP: Fuller, Jayla 1
Batting:
2B: Leiti, Mackenzie 1 ; Smith, Presley 1
3B: Black, Olivia 1
RBI: Meek, Tiffany 1 ; Black, Olivia 1 ; Drijvers, Sietske 1 ; Bacoulis, Julia 1 ; Smith, Presley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Chiarella, Emily 1 ; Meek, Tiffany 1 ; Black, Olivia 2 ; Drijvers, Sietske 2 ; Smith, Presley 1
SB: Black, Olivia 1 ; Williams, K'Mari 1
