University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Lose Game One Pitchers? Dual in Iowa City
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Golden Gopher softball team (22-14, 5-6 Big Ten) lost a close-fought 2-0 pitchers' dual in game one of their doubleheader with the Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday afternoon in Iowa City. Starter Briana Hassett (15-6) struck out nine and allowed only one earned run on four hits, but was the hard-luck loser in front of a large crowd at Pearl Field.
Sunday's games marked the national television debut for the Golden Gopher softball program, as the doubleheader is being broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Game two will get underway at approximately 2:30 p.m.
The game one pitching match-up featured two of the Big Ten's best strikeout pitchers. Hassett entered the game with a 2.01 ERA and 192 strikeouts, good enough for fourth in the Big Ten, while Weil was last week's conference Pitcher of the Week and a ranked second in the conference with 203 strikeouts entering the day.
The Gophers' best scoring chance early in the game came in the top of the second. After Casey Wheeler coaxed a walk, she was moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Amber Nelsen. But after a tough at-bat, freshman Brianna Sudenga was called out on strikes to end the threat.
The Hawks jumped on the board in the bottom of the inning. With runners on first and second and two away, an Amber Nelsen error allowed an unearned run to score before Hassett struck out Chelsey Carmondy to squash the rally. Katie Brown drove in another run for the Hawkeyes with a fourth-inning single, before Hassett got Carmondy to fly out to center.
Of Hassett's nine game one strikeouts, three came against
Another excellent scoring opportunity for
Hassett's dominance also got Minnesot out of a jam in the top of the seventh, when she stranded two Hawkeyes in scoring position with a strikeout and grounder to short.
Game two of the doubleheader can also been seen on the Big Ten Network, beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m.
