Rutgers softball set to travel to Purdue for 1st Big Ten series on road
The Rutgers softball team is taking a trip this weekend to continue its Big Ten schedule. The Scarlet Knights (20-13, 2-1) are set to travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face off against Purdue in a three-game series.
Rutgers is coming off of a series win from last weekend — its first conference victory of the season against Ohio State.
The Knights had themselves a series, scoring a total of 23 runs in three games with several standout performances coming from the plate.
Graduate student catcher Katie Wingert had another home run, inching closer to becoming the Rutgers all-time home run leader. Junior infielder Maddie Lawson had a superb series as well, averaging .556 with two doubles and five runs batted in (RBI).
Senior pitcher and outfielder Morgan Smith showed off her power in the circle and at the plate. Smith collected five strikeouts in the series and was spectacular at the dish, averaging .556 with five hits, scoring six runs and six RBIs. To top it all off, Smith blasted three home runs, taking the team lead with 11 on the season.
The Knights had a solid home series against the Buckeyes (17-10, 1-2) and are looking to replicate their results on the road against the Boilermakers (12-17, 0-3).
Purdue lost its last three in a series against Michigan on the road. The Boilermakers struggled at the plate last weekend, holding a team average of .130 and .160 in their first and last games.
Moriah Polar is at the top of the team in many categories, starting all 29 games for Purdue. She sports a .326 batting average and leads the team with 31 hits and 15 RBIs. Polar has been an obvious asset for the Boilermakers in her first season with the team.
Rutgers will likely see Kendall Klochack in the circle. She has made 18 appearances this season and has a team-best 4.74 earned run average (ERA). Klochack has totaled 31 strikeouts, another team-best.
Pitching seems to be where Purdue has struggled this season, as it owns a 5.56 team ERA compared to its opponents' 4.52 ERA.
The Knights have a chance to bring out their aces, fifth-year pitcher Mattie Boyd and Smith, to compete with a Boilermakers' staff that has had a tough season.
Rutgers will start off its series against Purdue on Friday at 5 p.m. with Saturday's first pitch coming at 2 p.m. and Sunday's beginning at 1 p.m. at the Bittinger Stadium. All three games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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