After scoring one run in the first two games, The Minnesota baseball team (5-7) tied a season-high 11 runs and pounded out a season-high 19 hits en route to defeating Pacific (4-13) 11-5 in the series finale on Sunday, Mar. 16 at Klein Family Field.
Minnesota had six players with multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit games by junior Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) and sophomore Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.). McCallum became the first Golden Gopher since Nate Hanson on May 20, 2007 to homer twice in a game, as he went 4-for-6 with two home runs, three runs and tied a career-high with four RBI.
Nohelty was 4-for-6 with three runs, a stolen base and an RBI. Junior Jeff DeSmidt (Mahtomedi, Minn.) had a career-high three hits, as he went 3-for-5 with a home run, a run and three RBI. Nate Hanson (Chanhassen, Minn.) was also 2-for-6 with two runs.
Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) and Tom Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) each had their first career multi-hit games. Decker reached base three times, and was 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and a stolen base. Steidl was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double.
Senior Dustin Brabender (Oregon, Wis.) picked up the win to move to 2-1, as he pitched five innings, gave up five hits, one unearned run, walked two and struck out three batters. Scott Fern (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Cullen Sexton (Plover, Wis.) each pitched one shutout inning on the day.
Pacific starter Cole Akins gave up eight hits and five runs in two innings of work to take the loss to fall to 0-4.
The 19 hits were the most by the Golden Gophers since they had 20 in a 12-5 win at UC Santa Barbara on Mar. 15, 2007.
Minnesota got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Nohelty led off with a triple that sailed over Pacific centerfielder Nick Longmire's head. Nohelty came home to score on an RBI ground out by Chlan to give the Golden Gophers a 1-0 lead. McCallum and Hanson followed with back-to-back singles to make it first and second. Michael Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) plated McCallum with an opposite-field RBI single to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead.
The Golden Gophers took a 3-0 lead with a single run in the top of the second inning. Decker got things started when he crushed a triple to right centerfield to lead off the inning, for his first extra-base hit of his career. Decker came home to score on an RBI single by Nohelty to give Minnesota the three-run lead.
Minnesota pushed its lead out to 5-0 in the top of the third inning. McCallum started the scoring when he crushed his first home run of the year to center field to give the Golden Gophers a 4-0 lead. Hanson followed by reaching on an error by the third baseman, and alertly moved up to second the shortstop's throw got past the pitcher coming back into the infield. DeSmidt brought home Hanson on an RBI single to give Minnesota a five-run lead.
The Golden Gophers added two more runs in the top of the fourth when McCallum crushed a two-run homer, his second of the game to center field, to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead.
Pacific got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the Minnesota lead to 7-1. Longmire reached on an infield single with one out in the inning. Longmire stole second, and moved up to third on errant throw that sailed into center field. John Joines brought home Longmire with an RBI infield single to make it 7-1.
The Tigers had a chance to close the gap further in the bottom of the fifth, but Brabender got some help in the field and pitched out of the jam. With runners on first and second with one out, Jason Haar crushed a ball to deep centerfield. Nohelty climbed the wall and robbed Haar of an extra-base hit. Beck Wheeler tagged up on the play to make it first and third. With two outs, Joe Oliveira stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Brabender got Michael McKeever to pop out to the shortstop to get out of the inning unscathed.
Minnesota added to their lead with three runs in the top of the sixth to go up 10-1. DeSmidt gave the Golden Gophers a 9-1 lead when he crushed a two-run home run to left centerfield. Steidl gave Minnesota the nine-run lead with an RBI double to plate Kvasnicka.
The Golden Gophers pushed the lead out to a 11-1 in the top of the seventh with an RBI single by McCallum.
Pacific got a pair of runs back in the bottom of seventh inning and eighth to cut the Minnesota lead to 11-5.
Joines led Pacific, as he reached base four times, and was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Adam Ching was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI, while Oliveria reached base three times, went 2-for-3 and had three stolen bases.
Minnesota will be back in action on Tuesday, Mar. 18 when it hosts North Dakota State at the Metrodome at 6:35 p.m. The Golden Gophers will also face the Bison on Wednesday, Mar. 19 in the Metrodome at 3:05 p.m.
