PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Wagner softball team fell to Rutgers on Tuesday, dropping the road contest 3-2 in eight innings.
The Seahawks wasted no time threatening in the top of the first inning. With a couple of walks, Wagner had a chance to score first, but the runners were left stranded. Rutgers took advantage, and broke the ice in the bottom of the second inning. After a single and a hit-by-pitch, the Scarlet Knights scored on an RBI base hit, and took a 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning, when the Seahawk bats got to Rutgers pitching. Freshman right fielder
Addy Day got the rally started with a single and took second on a wild pitch. Then, junior pinch hitter
Leilani Gonzales traded places with her on an RBI-double to left. After a pitching change, freshman pinch hitter
Emma Chambers struck another double into left field, which brought in runner from second and gave Wagner a 2-1 lead.
Rutgers evened up the score on the very first batter of the next half-inning, as a lead-off home run tied the game at two.
The score remained tied through the seventh inning. Freshman pitcher
Samantha Lotus, fresh off her NEC Co-Rookie of the Week award win, kept the Seahawks in it with three straight scoreless frames. Her final zero of the night forced the game to extra innings, but Rutgers struck out the side in the top of the eighth.
A base hit and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second base for the Scarlet Knights, which led the way for a walk-off single and a 3-2 defeat for Wagner.
The Seahawks will return to the diamond on Friday, April 3, when they host CCSU for a doubleheader at the Wagner Softball Field. The first game will start at 1 p.m., and the second game will start at approximately 3 p.m.
