University of Minnesota Athletics
BASEBALL FALLS TO CALIFORNIA 9-3; FINISHES SEASON 39-21
5/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
California wasted no time jumping on top of the Golden Gophers. The Golden Bears connected for two two-run home runs and a RBI single in the top half of the first inning, bringing ten men to the plate, as they took a quick 5-0 lead.
Senior left-hander Ben Birk started the game for the Golden Gophers, but was replaced after just facing five batters. Birk left the game fatigued and with an ailing shoulder. Sophomore C.J. Woodrow came on in relief of Birk, who allowed three earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
Minnesota rallied for a two-run response in the bottom of the first. Junior All-American Jack Hannahan knocked a two-out single up the middle, and Holthaus followed with his eighth home run of the season. Holthaus launched a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right-center field, narrowing the Golden Bears' lead to 5-2.
California got the two runs back in the fifth and sixth innings on a pair of RBI singles by Clint Hoover and Rob Meyer. Haring tried to spark to Golden Gopher offense in the bottom of the sixth inning with a mammoth drive to deep left-center field - his 11th home run of the year. Minnesota threatened by putting runners on second and third, but back-to-back strikeouts downed the Maroon and Gold hopes.
A run in the seventh and another in the eighth upped the California lead to 9-3, and downed the Minnesota spirits. The Golden Gophers managed just one hit versus relief pitcher Dave Cash in the final three and two-thirds innings, falling to the Golden Bears 9-3 in the elimination game.
