University of Minnesota Athletics
BASEBALL SPLITS WITH INDIANA; OFFENSE EXPLODES IN SECOND GAME
3/31/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Junior Jason Kennedy battled back from a 0-2 count to lead the first game off with a walk and sophomore Luke Appert blooped the very next pitch into center field to put the first two batters of the day on base. After attempting to move the runners up with a sac bunt that rolled fowl, Hannahan launched his fifth home run of the year to straightaway center, and Minnesota was quickly up 3-0 over the Hoosiers. Two batters later, Haring hit a solo shot to left-center field - the second of his career - giving the Golden Gophers a four run lead after the first inning.
Minnesota loaded the bases in the second inning thanks to two walks by pitcher Brad Edwards and an error by first baseman Gibran Hamdan. The Golden Gophers would leave the bases full, stranding three of their 10 runners stranded in the game.
Indiana climbed back into the game on a RBI double by Vasili Spanos in the fourth inning and a two-run home run by Hamdan in the fifth. The Hoosiers rocked Minnesota pitching for nine hits and five runs in the middle innings.
Minnesota had six hits as a team in the first game. Three of them came in the first inning, the other three in the sixth. Sophomore Scott Welch hit a deep fly ball to center field to lead off the sixth, but was robbed of a home run by Blake St. Clair. Welch settled for a triple - his fourth of the year. Freshman Sam Seidl delivered a pinch-hit single to right two batters later, scoring Welch and giving the Golden Gophers the 5-3 lead. Minnesota would leave the bases loaded for the second time, though, allowing an opportunity for Indiana to tie the game.
Hamdan, who plays third-string quarterback on the Hoosier football team, took advantage of the opportunity and tied the game at 5-5 with a RBI double in the bottom of the sixth. Indiana then loaded the bases with two outs in the inning, and looked to break the game open, but Kennedy drifted back to fence in right field to retire Nick Evans and the Hoosiers.
Tied with five runs apiece, Minnesota and Indiana would stretch the seven-inning game to nine innings, before the Hoosiers capitalized on a fielding error by Kennedy to score the winning run. With Dan Haegele on first base, Evans grounded a single into right field. Kennedy charged the ball, but over ran it, allowing Haegele to round third and slide head-first into home as the game-deciding run.
The Golden Gophers, determined to bounce back form the frustrating loss, came out swinging on the second game. Appert, Hannahan and senior Josh Holthaus all hit consecutive singles to load the bases in the first inning, and Haring showed them all up by hitting a bases-clearing double to right-center field giving Minnesota the 3-0 lead.
Indiana came right back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run home run by Blakeley to left-center field, narrowing the gap to 3-2. Blakeley finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored.
Guetzlaff scored the first of his four runs in the second inning on a ground ball by Appert, giving Minnesota a bit more breathing room. The Golden Gophers later loaded the bases in the second, but a line drive by Hannahan was nabbed by the first baseman, Hamdan, who threw to shortstop Blakeley for an inning-ending double play.
After retiring the Indiana in order in the bottom of the second, Minnesota shelled the Hoosiers for seven consecutive hits - eight in total - and seven runs, as the Maroon and Gold brought 11 men into the batter's box in the third inning. It is the fourth time this season that the Golden Gophers have batted around in an inning.
Haring, who already doubled in the first inning narrowly missed his second home run of the day, when he hit Joe Kemp's 1-1 pitch off the top of the center field fence for his second double of the game. Welch and Howard each hit RBI singles behind Haring, and Guetzlaff cleaned the bases with his first double of the year. Beaulieu and Kennedy each hit singles to keep the rally going, and Hannahan knocked in his 12th RBI in seven games with a single to left.
Once the dust had settled and the bats were quieted, Minnesota controlled the game 11-2, and everyone in the Golden Gophers lineup had at least one hit and at least one run scored. Indiana made a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, however and let Minnesota know that the game was far from over. The Hoosiers scored four runs on a single, back-to-back doubles and a home run - all with just one out. That would be the last time the Golden Gophers would hear from them, as freshman starter Jay Gagner and senior reliever Jason Shupe combined to allow just one more Hoosier hit over the last four innings of the game.
Guetzlaff made sure there would be no comeback in the night game when he hit his first home run of 2001 and just the second of his career in the fourth inning, extending Minnesota's lead to 13-6. Guetzlaff tied career-highs and finished the game 3-for-3 with four runs and four RBI. Beaulieu padded the score even more with his third hit of the game - a two RBI double to left-center field in the sixth. He finished a career-high three RBI and tied his career-high with three hits. Howard also tied career numbers with his three hits and three runs scored, as it has been a career weekend for many Golden Gophers.
The Golden Gophers hit safely and scored runs in five of the seven innings, as they dropped the Hoosiers 15-6, increasing their record to 15-12 and 4-2 in conference play. Indiana fell to 16-12-1 and 2-4 versus Big Ten opponents.
The two teams will lock horns for the fourth time Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to close out the conference series. The game will air live on WDGY-AM 630.
