University of Minnesota Athletics
BALLARD HOMER LIFTS MINNESOTA OVER NORTHRIDGE, 2-1
5/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Gophers will play UCLA, the top-ranked team in the country, in the winner's bracket final of the regional Saturday at 12 noon Twin Cities time. A Minnesota win would put the Gophers in the championship round Sunday. A Minnesota loss would mean that the Gophers would need to win a game Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. Twin Cities time against Missouri or Cal State Northridge to qualify for the championship round Sunday.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. With one out, Steph Midthun reached on an error by CSUN third baseman Ui Bai. With Midthun running on the pitch, Shannon Beeler doubled to left-center field, scoring Midthun from third base. Cal State Northridge tied the game 1-1 in the third inning on a run-scoring single by Jamie Moore. The game remained 1-1 until Ballard's line-drive over the left-field wall. The homer was Ballard's fourth of her career and her first since April 26, 1998.
Michelle Harrison pitched the final 4 2/3 innings of the game to win her 10th game of the season. Harrison allowed two hits and no walks while striking out three batters. Tara Glaister was the losing pitcher for Northridge, despite striking out 13 batters.
Minnesota tied a school record with its 48th victory of the season, the third time in school history and the second time in two seasons that the Gophers have won 48 games.
1999 NCAA SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT (Double Elimination) Regional #1 (Los Angeles, Calif.)--All times LOCAL Thursday's Results Game 2--Cal State Northridge 7, Missouri 3 Game 1--UCLA 7, Alabama 0 Game 3--Minnesota 2, Creighton 0 Friday's Results Game 4--Missouri 1, Alabama 0 (Alabama eliminated) Game 5--UCLA 14, Creighton 0 (Creighton eliminated) Game 6--Minnesota 2, Cal State Northridge 1 Saturday's Games Game 7--UCLA (57-6) vs. Minnesota (48-18), 10 a.m. Game 8--Missouri (39-20) vs. Cal State Northridge (30-23), 12:30 p.m. Game 9--Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Winner, 3 p.m. Sunday's Games Game 10--Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 1 p.m. Game 11--Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 3 p.m. (if necessary) MINNESOTA 2, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 1 MINNESOTA ab r h bi CS NORTHRIDGE ab r h bi Hays lf 3 0 0 0 Creith lf/dp 4 0 0 0 Mooney ph 1 0 0 0 Passafiume cf/lf 4 1 1 0 Midthun cf 3 1 2 0 Hayes ss 3 0 2 0 Beeler ss 3 0 1 1 Moore c 3 0 1 1 Nygren 2b 3 0 0 0 Wilson pr 0 0 0 0 Braden 1b/3b 3 0 0 0 Lopez dp 3 0 1 0 Mohns pr 0 0 0 0 Finnerty pr/cf 0 0 0 0 Bennett 3b/1b 2 0 0 0 Bal 3b 3 0 1 0 Ballard dp 3 1 1 1 Pierce 1b 3 0 0 0 Holden rf 2 0 0 0 Borenstein rf 3 0 0 0 Smith c 1 0 0 0 Nolletti 2b 3 0 0 0 Brophy c 2 0 1 0 Glaister p 0 0 0 0 Klaviter p 0 0 0 0 Harrison p 0 0 0 0 TOTALS 26 2 5 2 TOTALS 29 1 6 1 Minnesota 100 000 1 - 2 5 2 Cal State Northridge 001 000 0 - 1 6 2 E-Bal 2, Beeler, Harrison. LOB-Minnesota 5, Cal State Northridge 8. 2B-Beeler, Lopez. HR-Ballard (1). SB-Bal. S-Bennett. Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO Klaviter 2 1/3 4 1 1 1 1 Harrison (W, 10-7) 4 2/3 2 0 0 0 3 Cal State Northridge IP H R ER BB SO Glaister (L, 21-14) 7 5 2 1 1 13 U-Kesckes, Hoover, Schmidt. T-2:05. A-NA. Missouri 000 100 0-1 2 0 Alabama 000 000 0-0 3 1 Falk and Robinson. Laird and Moreman. WP-Falk (24-13). LP-Laird (21-9). UCLA 100 042 7-14 21 0 Creighton 000 000 0- 0 3 3 Freed and Nuveman. Mellegaard and Hoos. WP-Freed (25-4). LP-Mellegaard (13-14). HR-(UCLA) Adams (15, 5th inn., slam), Adams (16, 7th inn., solo).