University of Minnesota Athletics
HOLTHAUS HEROICS, STEADY BIRK HIGHLIGHT GOPHER SWEEP OF HOOSIERS
5/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Behind 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Minnesota took advantage of two Hoosier fielding errors to put runners on second and third with one out. On a 3-2 pitch, Holthaus hammered relief pitcher Tom Willerer's offering over the left field wall giving the Golden Gophers the 5-4 walk-off victory. For Holthaus, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs in the first game, it was his team-high ninth home run of the season.
Minnesota got on the board in the bottom of the first when Josh Holthaus doubled off the wall in right field to score Mark Devore from second base giving the Gophers a 1-0 lead. Indiana tied it up at 1-1 in the top of the sixth when designated hitter Joe Sadler scored on Eric Blakeley's ground out. Minnesota came back in the bottom of the sixth on a Mike Arlt RBI single to left field that scored Jason Kennedy from second.
The Hoosiers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eight when Minnesota left fielder Scott Howard dropped a Eric Blakeley fly ball allowing two runs to cross the plate. Indiana added a run in the top of the ninth to give the Hoosiers a 4-2 lead.
The Gophers again got another complete-game victory from righthander Mike Kobow (7-2). The Hutchinson, Minn. native scattered 10 hits and allowed only one earned run to pick up his team-high seventh win of the season. For Kobow, it was his fourth straight complete-game victory and his fifth of the season. He is now 5-1 in Big Ten conference games with a 2.81 ERA.
In the second game, left hander Ben Birk turned in another outstanding pitching performance for Minnesota. Birk went 6 1/3 innings, allowed only four hits, and struck out four to earn his third consecutive victory in Big Ten play. The junior allowed only two runners to reach third all game and was able to work out of jams in the second and fifth innings. He retired 15 of the last 17 batters he faced. Brandon Kitzerow relieved Birk in the top of the seventh and struck out the final two batters to earn his seventh save of the season.
All the offense Minnesota would need came in the second inning when Jack Hannahan smacked a David Ferris offering over the right centerfield wall to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead. Minnesota added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI single off the bat of Jeremy Negen that scored Chris Guetzlaff from second.
Minnesota and Indiana will square off again Sunday afternoon in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Siebert Field.
Game One 123 456 789 R H E Indiana 000 001 021 4 10 4 Minnesota 100 001 003 5 6 3 UM-Kobow and Negen. IU-McClellan, Willerer (9) and Farley. WP - Kobow (7-2) LP - Willerer (0-1). HR - UM: Holthaus (9). LOB: UM: 10. IU: 10. T: 2:40. A: 946. Game Two 123 456 7 R H E Indiana 000 000 0 0 4 1 Minnesota 010 001 x 2 4 0 UM-Birk, Kitzerow (7) and Negen. IU-Ferris and Farley. WP - Birk (4-2) LP - Ferris (7-3). HR - UM: Hannahan (7). LOB: UM: 8. IU: 4. T: 1:46. A: 946.
