BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Junior Kayla Gloady delivered the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning for the LIU Brooklyn softball team, who extended its winning streak to 10 with a 4-3 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday afternoon at LIU Field. The win was the third of the season for the Blackbirds over a Big Ten opponent and improved the squad to 23-24 overall. 

LIU got off to a solid start, opening up a 1-0 lead after senior Whitney West began the contest with a single and advanced to second on an error. A sacrifice by freshman Patricia Griffin pushed West to third base, then two batters later junior Kylie Mulholland lofted a sacrifice fly into centerfield that plated West and put the Blackbirds on top, 1-0.

Freshman Tallie Woodson worked around a two-out double to keep the Scarlet Knights off the board in the top of the third, before senior Celinna Cosio extended the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run down the left-field line. For Cosio, it was the third home run for her in five games.

The top of the fourth saw Rutgers score three times on four hits to take the lead, before freshman Evie Claussell responded with a run-scoring double off the wall in left the following inning to tie the game. 

Each team had opportunities to score over the next few innings but failed to convert. Rutgers advanced a runner to second with nobody out in the sixth, but sophomore Erynn Sobieski entered to strikeout consecutive batters and induced a groundout to end the frame. 

In the bottom of the seventh, senior Whitney West doubled to the gap in left-centfield with one out and, following a walk to Cosio, a wild pitch advanced West and Cosio to third before the Scarlet Knights got out of the inning with a grounder.

Extra innings followed, with Sobieski setting the Scarlet Knights down in order in the eighth. Sophomore Angie Vazquez led off the bottom half with a base hit to left, and pinch runner Victoria Zamora moved to second on a wild pitch. An infield single from senior Alyssa Gospodarek moved Zamora to third for Gloady, who smacked a line drive off Rutgers pitcher Dresden Maddox and into shallow right to score Zamora for the game-winning tally.

Sobieski earned the win in relief to improve to 15-16 overall, while Maddox fell to 9-11 on the year. The victory over Rutgers improved the Blackbirds to 3-1 on the year against Big Ten teams, including victories over Illinois and Northwestern.

LIU Brooklyn returns to Northeast Conference action on Saturday, April 30 with a doubleheader against Sacred Heart at LIU Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.