University of Minnesota Athletics
SB: Golden Gophers Fall to Wisconsin 8-3
5/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Badgers jumped ahead early with a run in the bottom of the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Katie Hnatyk scored from third on a wild pitch.
Minnesota responded in the third inning with three runs to take a 3-1 lead. After Megan Arns and Stephanie Sward singled, Chrissy Sward delivered an RBI single through the right side. Megan Higginbotham followed a line drive up the middle to give the Golden Gophers a 2-1 lead. Valerie Alston padded the lead with an RBI single to right field.
That was all the offense Minnesota would muster against Wisconsin starter Katie Layne. After allowing five hits in the third inning, she held the Golden Gophers to just three more hits in the ball game.
The Badgers cut the Minnesota lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third as Hnatyk hit a solo home run over the left field wall. It was her second home run of the weekend.
Wisconsin regained the lead for good in the fourth inning. With a runner on first and one out, Kristin Zacher hit a two-run home run to center field to give the Badgers a 4-3 advantage. Wisconsin tacked on one more run as Hnatyk walked and scored on Boo Gillette’s double to right field.
The Badgers added three more insurance runs in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Samantha Polito reached on an error, which allowed two runners to score. Hnatyk finished off a six-RBI weekend with a single to left center.
Chrissy Sward led Minnesota offensively with three hits, including an RBI single. Higginbotham went 1-for-3 on the day. She finished the season with a .411 batting average, the fifth-highest mark in school history. A sophomore from Tallahassee, Fla., Higginbotham finished Big Ten play with a stellar .484 average in conference games. She also ranked second in the conference with 22 stolen bases in 23 attempts.
The Golden Gophers complete their 2005 season with a 25-27 record, including a 6-14 Big Ten record. Minnesota stood at 6-7 in the Big Ten just three weeks ago, but a seven- game slide kept the Golden Gophers from reaching the postseason for the first time since 2001.
