University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Rebounds to Earn Split Against Illinois
5/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
- Box Score - Game 2
The Golden Gopher softball team (32-21, 9-9) rebounded from an 8-0, five-inning loss and defeated Illinois, 3-1, in the second game of a doubleheader at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Senior Piper Marten pitched a complete-game, three-hitter to improve to 20-11 on the season.
In the first game, Illinois jumped ahead early with three runs in the top of the first inning against Marten. With two outs, UI strung together four hits and a hit batsman. Lindsey Hamma drove home the first run with a single to center. Erin Montgomery followed with an RBI double and Elene Planinske drove home the third run with an infield single.
Illinois added another run in the second inning on a bases loaded walk, which drove Marten out of the ball game. Reliever Lyn Peyer pitched the remaining 3.2 innings of the game and finished with seven strikeouts.
Illinois ended the game in the fifth inning with four more runs. After Katie O'Connell led off with a double, she came home to score on Rachelle Coriddi's single. Erin Jones followed with an RBI double and Coriddi came around to score on a wild pitch. Illinois closed out the scoring on an error which brought home Jones from third.
Illinois had 12 hits in the game with 10 of those coming with two outs. UI scored seven of their eight runs with two outs. Coriddi, Hamma, Montgomery and Planinsek all finished with two hits.
Megan Fortune pitched the complete-game, four-hit shutout. She struck out two and did not allow a walk in five innings.
In the second game, both teams were held without a hit through the first three innings. Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as Jenna Hall doubled to left to bring home Coriddi.
The Golden Gophers answered in the fifth inning with a pair of runs. After Valerie Alston led off with a single, pinchrunner Christina Zimmerman was sacrificed over to second. On an 0-2 pitch, Lindsey Erickson tripled down the right field line to tie the game. Freshman Rene Konderik followed with an RBI single to right for the eventual game-winning run.
Minnesota added an insurance run in the sixth inning. With two outs and a full count, freshman Megan Higginbotham hit her fourth home run of the season over the center field wall.
Marten allowed just three hits and struck out eight in the ballgame. She moved into third place all-time in the Big Ten with 1,184 career strikeouts. Sherri Taylor took the loss for Illinois after allowing two runs on three hits in 4.1 innings. Fortune relieved Taylor and pitched 2.2 innings with one run allowed on two hits.
Erickson went 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI and run scored.
The Golden Gophers will close out the regular season next weekend in a two-game series at Wisconsin.