University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHER SOFTBALL WINS TWICE TO ADVANCE TO CLEARWATER SEMIFINALS
3/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
In the first game, Minnesota rallied from a 3-0 deficit to advance against Seton Hall. In the sixth inning, Tammi Hays and Veronica Roberts led off the inning with singles. On Roberts' single, Seton Hall pitcher Cristina Shanko threw the ball into right field, allowing Hays to score and roberts to advance to third base. After Angel Braden walked, Jordanne Nygren lined a single to left field to score Roberts. Following an illegal pitch, Shelly Nichols hit a sacrifice fly to score Braden and tie the game. In the seventh inning, Braden hit a bases-loaded single with two out to score Michelle Bennett with the game-winning run.
Against Florida International, the Gophers built a 3-0 lead and held on for a one-run victory. Roberts scored the game's first run in the fourth inning on a single by Christine Lindberg. A throwing error by Panther pitcher Mila Nelson allowed Lindberg to score and give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. Two Florida International errors in the fifth inning produced the Gophers' third run. The Panthers rallied with two sixth-inning runs, but Minnesota's Angie Recknor finished the game with a perfect seventh inning to end the game. Recknor won her 11th game of the season and fourth game of the tournament with a complete-game seven-hitter.
The Gophers will play Illinois-Chicago in the semifinals Sunday at 10 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to the championship game at 12 noon.
Minnesota 4, Seton Hall 3
Seton Hall 000 210 0-3 5 1
Minnesota 000 003 1-4 7 1
Shanko, Beaver (6) and Efchak. Hautala, Recknor (4) and Smith. WP-Recknor (10-12). LP-Beaver. HR-none.
Minnesota 3, Florida International 2
Florida Int. 000 002 0-2 7 3
Minnesota 000 210 x-3 3 1
Nelson and Pardo. Recknor and Smith. WP-Recknor (11-12). LP-Nelson. HR-(FIU) Carey.
