The Minnesota baseball team (2-0) defeated The Citadel (4-4) 6-3 to start off 2-0 in the Homewood Suites Shootout on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. It marked the first time that the Golden Gophers have started a season 2-0 since 1999.
Minnesota moves to 2-0 in the tournament, while The Citadel is 0-2. Earlier in the day, Virginia Tech won its second straight extra-inning affair 9-6 in 10 innings over UNC-Asheville. The Hokies moved to 2-0 in the tournament, while UNC-Asheville fell to 0-2 in the tournament.
The Golden Gophers and Hokies will play on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. (CT) with the winner claiming the tournament title.
Minnesota had 14 hits on the day, including a four-hit effort from Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.), who was 4-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in his first career start as a Golden Gopher. Sophomore Nate Hanson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) homered for a second straight day, reached base twice and was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
Senior Kyle Baran (Apple Valley, Minn.) was also 2-for-5 with two runs and a pair of doubles. Sophomore Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) finished 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base. Senior Mike Mee (Richfield, Minn.) also had two hits (2-for-5), while Dan Lyons (Rochester, Minn.) was 1-for-5 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base.
Tijl Vanderwege (St. Paul, Minn.) also reached base twice, and was 1-for-4 with a run and a double.
Junior Dustin Brabender (Oregon, Wis.) pitched five and a third innings, gave up five hits, two earned runs and struck out two batters, as he picked up the win to move to 1-0. Sophomore Kyle Carr (Linton, N.D.) gave up just one hit, while walking three batters, as he pitched two and a third scoreless innings of relief. Senior Josh Oslin (Mora, Minn.) pitched one and a third perfect innings to pick up his second save of the year.
The Citadel starter Matt Crim pitched five innings, gave up eight hits and three runs to take the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season.
Matt Reifsnider reached base twice, and was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Bryan Altman was 1-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Chris Swauger was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
Minnesota got on the board first with three runs in the top of the first inning to go up 3-0. Vanderwege got things started for Minnesota when he doubled to right centerfield to lead off the game. Vanderwege scored on a one-out RBI single by Lyons to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Hanson delivered his second home run in as many games to give the Golden Gophers a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first inning, The Citadel got the run right back on a solo home run by Chris Swauger to cut the Minnesota lead to 3-1.
Brabender retired 10 straight batters spanning from the last out of the first inning through the fourth inning. Reifsnider broke the string when he walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Reifsnider was wiped out on a fielder's choice by Chance Smith. However, Smith stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Smith came home to score to cut the Golden Gopher lead to 3-2 on an RBI single by Bryan Altman.
Minnesota answered right back with two runs in the top of the sixth inning to move ahead 5-2. Baran got things started with a leadoff double off Bulldog reliever Justin Smith. Two batters later, Nohelty delivered a singled that plated Baran to give Minnesota a 4-2 lead.
Nohelty stole second, and after the second out of the inning was recorded on a strikeout, Bryan Jost (Oakdale, Minn.) drew a walk to make it first and second. McCallum came up with an RBI single to plate Nohelty to make it 5-2. Smith wiggled out of a jam to keep Minnesota lead at 5-2.
The Citadel got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a Reifsnider RBI single to make it 5-3. With two outs the Bulldogs loaded the bases, but Carr got Smith to ground out to end the inning to keep the Golden Gopher lead at two runs.
Minnesota got the run back in the top of the seventh to make it 6-3. Baran got things started for a second straight inning with a one-out double. Nohelty delivered an RBI single to plate Baran to give the Golden Gophers a three-run lead.
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