University of Minnesota Athletics
Maroon Team Claims "Gopher World Series" in Dramatic Fashion
10/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Maroon team completed its rally from down 0-2 to claim the “Gopher World Series” on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Seth Rosin (Mounds View, Minn.) and Allen Bechstein (Apple Valley, Minn.) locked up in a pitcher’s duel to start the game. Rosin started and pitched three shutout innings for the Gold team, while Bechstein pitcher three scoreless innings for the Maroon squad.
The Gold squad finally broke through with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to go up 2-0. Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) led off the inning with a double. McCallum moved to third on a ground out by Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.). McCallum then came home to score on a wild pitch to go up 1-0. With two outs, Jeff Engel (Minnetonka, Minn.) delivered a double down the left field line. Engel came home to score on an RBI double by Tom Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Maroon squad came back with a single run to make it 2-1. Joe Maciej (Elk River, Minn.) drew a one-out walk, and stole second. Luke Rasmussen (Northfield, Minn.) delivered a two-out RBI single to make the score 2-1.
The Gold team moved out to a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. McCallum led off with a single and moved to second on a balk. Knudson followed with a walk to make it first and second. Both runners moved up on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by the Maroon catcher. Jon Hummel (Lakefield, Minn.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Engel followed with a two-run single to put the Gold team up 4-1 and on the verge of winning the “Gopher World Series”. A passed ball moved Hummel and Engel into scoring position with one out. Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Drew Hanish (McKinney, Texas) hit a hard shot to Maciej at first base, and the Maroon defense turned a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning and prevent further damage.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Maroon team answered with a three-run inning to tie the game at 4-4. With one out, Nate Hanson (Chanhassen, Minn.) lined a single up the middle. Hanson moved up to second on a passed ball. Nick O’Shea (Blaine, Minn.) lined an RBI single up the middle to plate Hanson to bring the score to 4-2.
Chauncey Handran (Scobey, Mont.) was hit by a pitch to make it first and second. Maciej floated a single to right field to score O’Shea to make it 4-3. Handran moved to third on the base hit, and scored when Aaron Larson’s (Lakeville, Minn.) throw to third could not be handled in foul territory. Handran’s run tied the game at 4-4. With the go-ahead run in scoring position Scott Fern (Eau Claire, Wis.) toughened striking out Jeff DeSmidt (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and getting Rasmussen to ground out.
In the bottom of the seventh, Maroon had a chance to win the game as Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) walked with one out and stole second base. However, Fern struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Gold had a chance to go up in the top of the eighth when Hummel led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice by Engel with one out. However, Rasmussen got the next two hitters on a pop up and a groundout to get out of the inning.
Maroon also had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth. O’Shea led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Handran. Mike Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) made a great play just to get Handran at first. The Gold squad got out of the inning on a pair of groundouts.
In the bottom of the ninth, Maroon had another golden opportunity to win the game. Rasmussen led off with a walk, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by AJ Pettersen. Nohelty was walked intentionally, but Jeremy Chlan (Apple Valley, Minn.) delivered an RBI single that gave the Maroon team a come-from-behind 5-4 victory in nine innings.
Rasmussen picked up the win for the Maroon team, as he went four innings of relief, gave up three hits, two runs, three walks and struck out two batters. Fern took the loss, as he gave up five hits, four runs, three walks and struck out three in 3.1 innings.
O’Shea finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Hanson was 2-for-4 with a run in the game. Maciej reached base twice, and was 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Rasmussen also reached base twice, and was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Chlan was 1-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.
The Gold team was led by Engel who was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double, while McCallum went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs. Steidl was also 1-for-4 with an RBI and a double.
NOTES: The Maroon Team came back to win the “Gopher World Series” 3-2 despite falling behind 0-2 in the series ... Luke Rasmussen picked up wins as a pitcher in games three and five for the Maroon team, and had the GWRBI in game four ... Kyle Knudson (Game 1 for Gold), Drew Hanish (Game 2 for Gold), Chauncey Handran (Game 3 for Maroon), Rasmussen (Game 4 for Maroon) and Jeremy Chlan (Game 5 for Maroon) each collected a GWRBI in the “Gopher World Series” ... Nate Hanson led the way for both teams with three multi-hit games ... In one of the other games, Hanson walked three times ... three of the five games in the “Gopher World Series” went extra-innings and four of the five games were decided by one run ... All of the “Gopher World Series” games were played with wood bats ... Minnesota will start its regular-season at NCAA participant Ole Miss on Feb. 22.
Seth Rosin (Mounds View, Minn.) and Allen Bechstein (Apple Valley, Minn.) locked up in a pitcher’s duel to start the game. Rosin started and pitched three shutout innings for the Gold team, while Bechstein pitcher three scoreless innings for the Maroon squad.
The Gold squad finally broke through with two runs in the top of the fourth inning to go up 2-0. Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) led off the inning with a double. McCallum moved to third on a ground out by Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.). McCallum then came home to score on a wild pitch to go up 1-0. With two outs, Jeff Engel (Minnetonka, Minn.) delivered a double down the left field line. Engel came home to score on an RBI double by Tom Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Maroon squad came back with a single run to make it 2-1. Joe Maciej (Elk River, Minn.) drew a one-out walk, and stole second. Luke Rasmussen (Northfield, Minn.) delivered a two-out RBI single to make the score 2-1.
The Gold team moved out to a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. McCallum led off with a single and moved to second on a balk. Knudson followed with a walk to make it first and second. Both runners moved up on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by the Maroon catcher. Jon Hummel (Lakefield, Minn.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Engel followed with a two-run single to put the Gold team up 4-1 and on the verge of winning the “Gopher World Series”. A passed ball moved Hummel and Engel into scoring position with one out. Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Drew Hanish (McKinney, Texas) hit a hard shot to Maciej at first base, and the Maroon defense turned a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning and prevent further damage.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Maroon team answered with a three-run inning to tie the game at 4-4. With one out, Nate Hanson (Chanhassen, Minn.) lined a single up the middle. Hanson moved up to second on a passed ball. Nick O’Shea (Blaine, Minn.) lined an RBI single up the middle to plate Hanson to bring the score to 4-2.
Chauncey Handran (Scobey, Mont.) was hit by a pitch to make it first and second. Maciej floated a single to right field to score O’Shea to make it 4-3. Handran moved to third on the base hit, and scored when Aaron Larson’s (Lakeville, Minn.) throw to third could not be handled in foul territory. Handran’s run tied the game at 4-4. With the go-ahead run in scoring position Scott Fern (Eau Claire, Wis.) toughened striking out Jeff DeSmidt (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and getting Rasmussen to ground out.
In the bottom of the seventh, Maroon had a chance to win the game as Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) walked with one out and stole second base. However, Fern struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Gold had a chance to go up in the top of the eighth when Hummel led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice by Engel with one out. However, Rasmussen got the next two hitters on a pop up and a groundout to get out of the inning.
Maroon also had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth. O’Shea led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Handran. Mike Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) made a great play just to get Handran at first. The Gold squad got out of the inning on a pair of groundouts.
In the bottom of the ninth, Maroon had another golden opportunity to win the game. Rasmussen led off with a walk, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by AJ Pettersen. Nohelty was walked intentionally, but Jeremy Chlan (Apple Valley, Minn.) delivered an RBI single that gave the Maroon team a come-from-behind 5-4 victory in nine innings.
Rasmussen picked up the win for the Maroon team, as he went four innings of relief, gave up three hits, two runs, three walks and struck out two batters. Fern took the loss, as he gave up five hits, four runs, three walks and struck out three in 3.1 innings.
O’Shea finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Hanson was 2-for-4 with a run in the game. Maciej reached base twice, and was 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Rasmussen also reached base twice, and was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Chlan was 1-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.
The Gold team was led by Engel who was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double, while McCallum went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs. Steidl was also 1-for-4 with an RBI and a double.
NOTES: The Maroon Team came back to win the “Gopher World Series” 3-2 despite falling behind 0-2 in the series ... Luke Rasmussen picked up wins as a pitcher in games three and five for the Maroon team, and had the GWRBI in game four ... Kyle Knudson (Game 1 for Gold), Drew Hanish (Game 2 for Gold), Chauncey Handran (Game 3 for Maroon), Rasmussen (Game 4 for Maroon) and Jeremy Chlan (Game 5 for Maroon) each collected a GWRBI in the “Gopher World Series” ... Nate Hanson led the way for both teams with three multi-hit games ... In one of the other games, Hanson walked three times ... three of the five games in the “Gopher World Series” went extra-innings and four of the five games were decided by one run ... All of the “Gopher World Series” games were played with wood bats ... Minnesota will start its regular-season at NCAA participant Ole Miss on Feb. 22.
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