University of Minnesota Athletics
GOLDEN GOPHERS DROP TWO TO MCNEESE STATE
2/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
In the first game, Minnesota was stifled by the pitching of Cowboy starter Chris Howay, who held the Golden Gophers to just four hits in the game while striking out 10. Golden Gopher starter Kelly Werner was touched for six runs in five innings, three of those runs were unearned in taking his first loss of the season.
Leading to Minnesota's downfall were four errors commited by Golden Gopher infielders, three of which set up the three Cowboy runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The Golden Gophers avoided shutout in the sixth when when junior Josh Holthaus singled to centerfield scoring Scott Howard from second base.
In the second game, junior Ben Birk made his first appearance since the 1998 the season after sitting out all of last season with an injury. Birk pitched well in a limited outing scattering five hits and striking out three. He allowed three runs but two were unearned as errors again played a part in the Gophers 7-3 loss.
McNeese jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Two of those runs came when Cowboy catcher Josh German singled to left-center field scoring Nolan Parker and Chris Williamson.
The Golden Gophers jumped back in the game in the top of the fourth when with the bases loaded, catcher's interference was called during a Chris Guetzlaff at-bat scoring Rob LaRue from third. McNeese State pitcher Patrick Stuart then walked Mike Arlt scoring Scott Howard from third, but Minnesota would get no closer. Jeremy Negen went three-for-three on the day with an RBI.
