University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gopher Softball Defeats Louisville 4-3 in Season Opener
2/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Freshman Rene Konderik returned to mound for the final two innings for Minnesota and held the lead. She needed just five pitches to retire the Cardinals in the top of the sixth inning.
In the top of the seventh, Konderik went 3-0 on leadoff hitter Audrey Rendon, but battled back to a full count before Rendon popped up to shortstop Rachel Keeney. Konderik got Shannon Nord out on a comebacker and then Keeney threw out Candi Hicks from deep in the hole to end the game.
Yesterday before the rain, Louisville led 3-0 after the top of the fifth inning before Minnesota exploded for four runs.
Freshman catcher Megan Higginbotham was the star of the day for Minnesota in her collegiate debut. The Tallahassee native had three of Minnesota's seven hits and her two-run single in the fifth gave the Golden Gophers the lead.
Louisville got on the board in the first inning as Nord struck out swinging but reached first base on a wild pitch. She would come in to score on Lacy Wood's two-out double to right center off Gopher starter Lyn Peyer.
The Cardinals added two more runs in the fifth inning off Minnesota reliever Rene Konderik. Rendon led off the inning with a triple to right center. She scored on Hick's grounder to second base. With one out, Hicks scored Louisville's third run on a double to right center from Sara Bausher.
In the bottom of the fifth, Minnesota's bats came alive against Cardinal reliever Aja Sherman. Melissa Murnane drew a leadoff walk and with one out, Minnesota rattled off four straight singles. Stephanie Sward and Tonya Mitchell reached and senior Hailee Nanchy delivered a two-run double past the shortstop. With Mitchell on third and Nanchy on second, Higginbotham connected on the first pitch she saw. Her single to center gave the Golden Gophers their first lead of the game. After Higginbotham stole second and with Rachel Keeney at the plate with two outs, the game was suspended because of heavy rain that hit the Tallahassee area.
Minnesota will face Illinois State at 11 a.m. this morning and will meet Florida A&M at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
