University of Minnesota Athletics
Baseball Falls to Northern Iowa 7-4
4/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Northern Iowa got on the board right away in the top of the first inning when the first two batters recorded hits, and Nate Heath had an RBI single to put the Panthers up 1-0. The Golden Gophers came back in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly by Luke Appert (Cottage Grove, Minn.), which brought home Sam Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) to tie the game at 1-1.
The Panthers snapped the tie in the top of the third when Joe Burgett delivered a two-run homer to put Northern Iowa up 3-1. Heath reached on an error later in the inning and came around to score to make it 4- 1 when Tyson Hanish reached on a two-out error.
Northern Iowa scored two runs in the fourth inning and a single run in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Minnesota did not get on the board again until the seventh inning when Luke MacLean (Bloomington, Minn.) scored on a groundout single by Sam Steidl to cut the score to 7-2.
Minnesota made things interesting in the bottom of the eighth inning when Matt Fornasiere (Maple Grove, Minn.) singled with two outs and the bases loaded to bring home Appert and Gary Dick (Grand Rapids, Minn.) to cut the score to 7-4. The Golden Gophers had men on first and third after that, but Northern Iowa pitcher Beau Mathiason beared down and struck out pinch-hitter Jared Sanders (Merril, Wis.) to end the inning.
The Golden Gophers threatened again in the bottom of the ninth inning when David Hrncirik (Madison, Wis.) walked and Appert reached on an error with one out. However, Micah Christenson retired the last two batters to give the Panthers the victory.
Zache Jevne pitched two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the victory for Northern Iowa to move to 1-0. Christenson pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his first save of the year. Minnesota starter Craig Molldrem (Boscobel, Wis.) pitched two and one thirds innings and gave up three earned runs to take the loss and drop to 0-3 on the season.
Fornaisere led the way at the plate for Minnesota going two for four with two RBI. Dick was also one for two with a run on the day.
Minnesota will resume Big Ten play at Siebert Field when it takes on Penn State Friday, Apr. 11 at 3 p.m. in a single game, Saturday, Apr. 12 at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader and Sunday, Apr. 13 at 12 noon in a single game.
