University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Softball Drops Fourth Straight
4/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Ann Arbor, Mich. - After taking a 3-0 lead over No. 12 Michigan, the Minnesota softball team lost, 5-3 Saturday afternoon. Minnesota, which dropped its fourth straight game, fell to 26-15 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten Conference, while the Wolverines upped their mark to 31-7 and 7-1 in the league. Twelve of Minnesota's 15 losses this season have been to teams ranked in the NFCA Top 25.
Minnesota scored a pair of runs in the second inning and added another in the third, but the Wolverines responded with four runs in the top of the fifth and another in the seventh for the victory.
With one out in the third inning, Angie Recknor singled to left field, driving in Allie Fisk. After Erin Wallace, who was pinch-running for Recknor, stole second base, Veronica Roberts sacrifice bunted her to third. Wallace later scored on a Nicole Motycka wild pitch.
Minnesota scored again in the third inning to up its lead to 3-0, but threatened to break the game wide open. Tammi Hays led off the frame with a walk and later scored on a Shelly Nichols double. Michigan then brought in ace pitcher Marissa Young, who walked the first two batters she faced. With the bases loaded, Young struck out two batters and Nichols was thrown out at home on a failed squeeze attempt to end the inning and the Gopher scoring threat.
The Wolverines were able to string together five hits for four runs off Minnesota's Piper Marten in the fifth inning. Marten, who had allowed just two hits in the first four innings, fell to 16-9 on the season, while Young (18-5) earned her second consecutive win over Minnesota. Young struck out 10 of the 18 Gophers she faced, allowing just one hit and walking two. Marten struck out five in 6 1/3 innings pitched.
Nichols went 2-for-4 on the day, while Marten also added a base hit.
The Gophers will conclude their weekend action, tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader versus Michigan State, in East Lansing, Mich.
