Gophers Power Past Phoenix to Sweep Doubleheader

The University of Minnesota softball team swept Wisconsin-Green Bay, 5-2 and 9-1, in a doubleheader on Wednesday night at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Golden Gophers (23-21) hit a pair of home runs in each game, highlighted by Green Bay native Lauren Pockl's two-run bomb in Game 2 as Minnesota cruised to the six-inning victory.

The Gophers faced early deficits in each game but stormed back by putting multiple runs on the board in the middle innings. Minnesota's offense exploded in the second game, scoring its first seven runs with no one out.

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, the Gophers came to life by putting five runs on the board before an out was recorded. Casey Wheeler laced a double deep to the gap in left center to lead off the inning and Amber Nelsen reached on an infield single to move her up to third. Making just her sixth start of the season, utility outfielder Heidi Carls picked up the first RBI of her career, smacking a base hit to left center to score Wheeler. She was held to just a single with Nelsen having to wait to see if the centerfielder would make the play.

Both runners would come all the way around to score on a double off the bat of Lisa Parks, who pinch-hit for Colleen Powers. After fouling off a number of pitches with solid contact, Parks finally kept one between the lines with a shot over the head of the right fielder and the rally was on from there.

The next batter to step to the plate was the always dangerous Megan Higginbotham. The Phoenix seemingly avoided danger when Higginbotham hit a high pop-up to the pitcher, but an illegal pitch was called to give her new life. Higginbotham took advantage, crushing a no-doubter over the left field wall on a 3-2 pitch to push Minnesota's lead to 5-1.

Much of the same followed in the sixth inning, with two more Gophers collecting career firsts. Sila Fernandez started the inning with her first hit in a maroon and gold uniform, a leadoff single up the middle. Pockl immediately followed with her first career home run, a deep blast that landed in the middle of the parking lot beyond the left field wall.

The Gophers proceeded to load the bases later in the inning on a single from Nelsen and walks to Carls and Higginbotham. Colleen Conway singled up the middle to give Minnesota an 8-1 advantage, and Mandy Valadez picked up the game-ending RBI with a sac fly to right centerfield.

Pockl and Higginbotham both went 1-for-2 with two-run home runs, while Nelsen finished the game 2-for-3 as the Gophers out-hit the Phoenix 10-2 for the game.

Briana Hassett picked up her 11^th win of the season, allowing just one unearned run on two hits while striking out 11. UW-Green Bay's only run of the game came on an error in the third inning.

Minnesota also trailed in Game 1 but responded with four runs in the middle innings to take a 5-2 victory. Higginbotham and Valadez both went 2-for-3 with a home run. Valadez finished the game with two RBI, while Higginbotham, Nelsen and Shannon Stemper each had one. Katie Dalen picked up the win to even her record at 7-7 on the season.

The Phoenix took an early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. With Jenna Woepse standing on third with one out, Katie Cooney hit a lazy single to short right field to score the first run of the game. Cooney later scored when Jenny Rehfeldt hit a grounder to second that went right through Conway's legs for an uncharacteristic error to give UW-Green Bay a 2-0 advantage.

Higginbotham got the Gophers right back in it, turning on a 3-0 pitch from Phoenix starter Anna Bluemel and cranking a towering shot just inside the left field foul pole for a leadoff home run.

The Phoenix threatened to add to their lead in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a sharp single, but Dalen pitched herself out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning.

For Minnesota, after four batters came to the plate in the second inning and saw just four pitches combined, the Gophers showed more patience as the game wore on and it paid off to the tune of four of runs in the middle innings.

The Maroon and Gold took its first lead of the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Valadez led off the inning with a solo shot over the center field fence to tie the ball game at two apiece. Parks then laced a single over the head of the shortstop and was replaced on the basepaths by Nelsen. Stemper followed with a double off the left field wall to give to make the score 3-2.

Minnesota pushed its lead to three with two more runs the following inning. Higginbotham drew a one-out walk and Conway beat out an infield single to start the rally. The Gophers put on a double steal to move both runners up and Valadez hit a single deep in the hole at short to score Higginbotham and push Minnesota's lead to 4-2. Nelsen followed with a single to center field to bring Conway around from second.

Dalen again ran into some trouble in the sixth, walking the bases full, but Conway made a nice play in the hole behind first base to get out of the inning. After the first-inning error, Conway more than made up for it with a number of terrific plays during the rest of the game while showing great range going both ways.

The Gophers will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a pair of games against arch-rival Wisconsin at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. A sweep of the Badgers could lead to a berth in the Big Ten Tournament for the Gophers and also would virtually clinch the TDS Border Battle for Minnesota. The Gophers and Badgers will square off at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.

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Players Mentioned

Heidi Carls

Colleen Conway

Katie Dalen

Sila Fernandez

Briana Hassett

Megan Higginbotham

Amber Nelsen

Lisa Parks

Lauren Pockl

Colleen Powers

Shannon Stemper

Mandy Valadez

Casey Wheeler

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University of Minnesota Athletics