Rutgers Softball Begins Season with Pair of Losses

Rutgers softball opened the 2022 season with a pair of losses to Arkansas (4-0) and Memphis (6-3) down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Rutgers dropped the opener of the twin-bill 4-0 to Arkansas with the Raz0rback's Mary Huff tossing four innings of two-hit ball against the Scarlet Knights.

Arkansas grabbed an early 1-0 lead on Danielle Gibson's RBI double in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, the Razorbacks tacked on to their lead with all three runs scoring thanks in major part to a throwing error from left field that allowed Gibson and Hannah Gammill to score.

Linnie Malkin who singled with the bases full to drive in Taylor Ellsworth with the initial run of the inning, wound up on third base on the play.

Ashley Hitchcock got the start for Rutgers. She was charged with four runs, two earned, over 3.2 innings of work.

In the second game Rutgers grabbed a 3-0 lead on Memphis in the top of the fifth inning. Gabrielle Callaway's two-run single got the momentum rolling for Rutgers. Later in the frame, Maddie Lawson's steal of second, allowed Callaway to break from third and swipe home to give RU a 3-0 advantage.

Unfortunately for the Scarlet Knights they gave the lead right back in the bottom half of the fifth.

Camryn Wineinger crushed a two-run homer to center to cut the Rutgers lead to 3-2, chasing starter Jaden Vickers from the game. Vickers allowed two runs on a pair of hits over four innings of work.

With Ashley Hitchcock back on the bump for Rutgers, the Tigers rallied. A two-run single by Kendall Lee gave Memphis a 4-3 lead. Gracie Morto followed with a two-run single of her own, plating Lee and Alyssa Dean to make it 6-3.  Hitchcock took the loss, allowing four runs over two innings.

The standout performer of the day for Rutgers is Kyleigh Sand, who went 3-for-3 in the Memphis game, and is 4-for-6 (.667) with a run scored in the two games combined.