University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Baseball Falls to Arizona 11-5
2/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota got on the board in the first inning for a second straight game as Appert doubled with two outs and scored when Jake Elder (Delta, British Columbia) drove him in with a single to make it 1-0. Arizona answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning with a pair of RBI doubles off the bats of Moises Duran and Derek Decater to go up 2- 1.
Appert put the Golden Gophers back ahead 3-2 in the top of the third when he delivered a two-run homer off Arizona starter Sean Rierson. Minnesota added another run in the top of the fourth inning when freshman Matt Fornasiere (Maple Grove, Minn.) delivered an RBI single, his first hit of his collegiate career, to make the score 4-2.
Arizona took the lead back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up 6-4, highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles by Nick Hundley and John Hardy. Minnesota trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the top of the fifth inning when Appert singled home Ben Pattee (Ukiah, Calif.).
The Wildcats added on a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Jeff Van Houten RBI single to make the score 7-5. Arizona widened the gap in the seventh with four runs to make the score 11-5. The inning was highlighted by two-run single by Van Houten and an RBI double by Brad Boyer
Minnesota starter C.J. Woodrow took the loss as he gave up six runs in three and two thirds innings. Arizona's Sean Rierson pitched six innings and gave up four earned runs to pick up the win and move to 2- 0 on the season.
Pattee was two for four with two runs, while Fornasiere provided Minnesota's other RBI and went one for four in his first collegiate start.
The Wildcats were led offensively by Van Houten who was three for four with three RBI. Brad Boyer was also three for five with three RBI and two doubles.
Minnesota will wrap up the three-game series against Arizona at 1 p.m. on Feb. 23. The Golden Gophers will also play Oklahoma State on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m.
