University of Minnesota Athletics
Piper Marten Named Big Ten Softball Pitcher of the Week
4/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Marten, a junior, dominated in the circle for the Golden Gophers, going 4-0 with an astounding 52 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched. Marten started three games and came in relief in another to help the Maroon and Gold to hard-fought wins over Drake, Indiana and Purdue. In UM's 3-1 win over Indiana, Marten pitched a complete game one-hitter with a school seven-inning record 16 K's. In that game, she threw 77 pitches, only 13 of which were balls. She also pitched 5.2 innings of no-hit ball against the Hoosiers on Saturday, notching 10 strikeouts.
In Sunday's opening matchup with Purdue, she allowed just two hits in seven innings and sat down 13 batters without posting a walk. Marten owned a 0.77 ERA and a 26-1 K-to-walk ration for the week, and now has a 1.65 ERA with nine double-digit strikeout games.
This is the fifth conference player/pitcher of the week honor for a Golden Gopher and the second for Marten this season.
The Golden Gophers open their home schedule this week with doubleheaders against Wisconsin-Green Bay on Tuesday, April 8, and Concordia-St. Paul on Wednesday, April 9. Both twinbills are scheduled for 4 p.m., at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Minnesota opens its 2003 home Big Ten schedule against Michigan State on Friday-Saturday, April 11-12, and Michigan on Sunday, April 13.
