University of Minnesota Athletics
GOPHERS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER FROM BUCKEYES 13-5, 7-1
4/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
In the first game, the Golden Gophers pounded Buckeye pitching for 13 runs on 15 hits en route to a 13-5 win. Minnesota scored in the first four innings of the game to take an 11-1 lead. The Golden Gophers added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the final margin of victory.
Minnesota jumped on Ohio State starting pitcher Brandon Steen in the bottom of the first. After lead-off batter Jason Kennedy reach on a fielding error by Ohio State first baseman Nick Swisher, freshman Luke Appert drilled a Steen offering over the center field fence to give Minnesota an early 2-0 lead. Appert finished the game 2-for-2 with four RBIs.
The Golden Gophers tacked on four more runs in the bottom half of the second inning. Mark Devore had a one-run single and Appert chipped in with a two-run single to increase the Gopher lead to 5-0. In the bottom of the third inning, Devore added a two-run single to give the Gophers a 7-0 lead.
Minnesota increased its 11-1 with a four-run bottom of the fourth inning. Jason Kennedy got the inning started with a single to right field. After Appert walked, shortstop Rick Brosseau doubled down the right field line scoring Kennedy. With runners on second and third, Jack Hannahan singled scoring Rick Brosseau from third and Appert from second. A Scott Howard sacrifice fly scored Josh Holthaus staking Minnesota to a commanding 11-1 lead. Hannahan would finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBIs and three two runs scored.
Gopher starting pitcher Chadd Clarey (4-2) scattered 12 Ohio State hits and allowed five runs in picking up his fourth win of the season. Ohio State starting pitcher Brandon Steen lasted only three and two-thirds innings and took the loss to drop his record to 4-2.
In the second game with the scored tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Golden Gophers struck for six runs and went on to win by a score of 7-1.
Freshman Luke Appert again was the offensive spark for the Golden Gophers. In the sixth inning with the bases loaded, Appert's double to the gap in right center field scored Jeremy Negen and Mark Devore to give Minnesota a 3-1 lead. Josh Holthaus came up with the bases loaded later in the same inning, and delivered a two-run single to center field to push the lead to 5-1. Jack Hannahan doubled down the right field line scoring Rick Brosseau and Josh Holthaus would score on a fielder's choice to cap the six-run sixth inning. Appert would finish the day 3-for-5 with six RBIs and three runs scored. Hannahan was 5-for-7 on the day with five RBIs.
Minnesota starting pitcher Kelly Werner (4-3) went the distance to pick up his fourth win of the season. Werner came into the game with a 19 inning scoreless streak. That streak ran to 24 innings before Ohio State forced an unearned run across to tie the game at 1-1in the top of the sixth inning. Werner scattered four hits and struck out four to earn his third consecutive win.
The Golden Gophers travel to Iowa State for a midweek game with the Cyclones, and then will travel to Northwestern next weekend to face the Wildcats in a four-game Big Ten series.
Game One 123 456 7 R H E Ohio State 000 131 0 5 12 1 Minnesota 232 402 x 13 15 0 UM-Clarey, DeWitt (7) and Negen. OSU-Steen, Brown (3) and Wilkins. WP - Clarey (4-2). LP - Steen (4-2). HR - UM: Appert (4). LOB: OSU:5. UM: 5. T: 1:56. A: 512 Game Two 123 456 7 R H E Ohio State 000 001 0 1 4 0 Minnesota 000 016 x 7 10 1 UM-Werner and Negen. OSU-Smith, Wynk (6), Cox (6) and Alvord. WP - Werner (4-3). LP - Smith (3-2). HR - none. LOB: OSU: 6. UM: 10. T: 2:05. A: 512
