Sward, Lovett Combine For Five Hits Friday at Rutgers

Friday, April 24

Piscataway, N.J.

3:00 PM

Lehigh University

22-26

Rutgers

24-25

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Lehigh	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	8	1
Rutgers	1	0	0	0	7	0	X	8	8	0

Photo by: Luke Eiles

Sward, Lovett Combine For Five Hits Friday at Rutgers

4/24/2026 5:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – A seven-run fifth inning turned a 3-1 Lehigh lead into a deficit as the Mountain Hawks fell 8-3 to Rutgers Friday at the Rutgers Softball Complex in the opening game of the Scarlet Knight Classic.

Juniors Peyton Sward and Holly Lovett combined for five hits and a walk to lead Lehigh, but Rutgers' Riley Hwang hit a three-run single in that seven-run fifth to give the Scarlet Knights the lead for good.

Lehigh falls to 22-26 on the season.

After the Mountain Hawks left the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, Rutgers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half on back-to-back doubles by Hwang and Addie Osborne.

3 bags and an RBI to tie the game for Lola Fasano!

📺 B1G+ - https://t.co/hH2RVSMCoP pic.twitter.com/KQORlrpOmk
— Lehigh Softball (@Lehighsoftball) April 24, 2026

Lehigh put up three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Senior Abbey Tabaka drew a one out walk and came around to score the tying run on a triple to right field by first-year Lola Fasano. After Fasano was initially called out for leaving third base early, the call was reversed on review and Sward's third hit of the game, an infield single, put the Mountain Hawks up 2-1. Lovett followed with a run-scoring single up the middle bringing sophomore Kelly Fricker home with Lehigh's third run.

Holly Lovett adds one on!

Sward and Lovett are now 5-for-5 with a walk today.

📺 B1G+ - https://t.co/hH2RVSMCoP pic.twitter.com/RuDOBisz6h
— Lehigh Softball (@Lehighsoftball) April 24, 2026

The first six Scarlet Knight batters reached in the fifth, with Hwang clearing the bases to put Rutgers up 4-3. Osborne, Siera Hoekstra and Hailey Stripling added RBI hits in what became a seven-run frame.

Both teams finished with eight hits. Sward was 3-for-4 for Lehigh, while Lovett was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Senior Chloe Hess started in the circle for Lehigh and was solid for the first four innings before hitting trouble in the fifth. Hess allowed six runs on six hits over four-plus innings with two walks and a strikeout. Sophomore Madison Finnerty allowed two runs over 0.2 innings and first-year Addison Moorman got the last four outs for the Mountain Hawks, including a pair of strikeouts.

Hwang and Osborne led Rutgers (24-25) with two hits and two RBIs.

Inclement weather in Saturday's forecast has forced schedule changes for the Scarlet Knight Classic. Saturday's games have been postponed to Sunday, with Lehigh now slated to face Georgetown at 10 a.m. and Hofstra at 3 p.m.