University of Minnesota Athletics
Sudenga Helps Gophers Bounce Back in Texas
2/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The University of Minnesota softball team (6-7) bounced back from a rough weekend at the Metrodome Classic and picked up a pair of wins Friday in the opening day of the Islander Invitational in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Gophers defeated host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by a 5-1 score and took advantage of four Dayton errors in their second game of the day to defeat the Flyers in five innings by a 10-1 margin.
Against the host Islanders in the early game, multi-hit performances from Colleen Conway, Heidi Carls and Brianna Sudenga paced the Gophers offensively. Briana Hassett tossed her eighth complete game of the season, striking out four and allowing just three hits.
After TAMU-CC went ahead with a single run in the bottom half of the first frame, Minnesota took the lead for good with a three-run rally in the third inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Sammie Howard’s single through the right side scored Sudenga from third with the tying run. After Minnesota had loaded the bases with two outs, a looping single by Carls over the outstretched glove of Islanders’ second baseman Alejia Cain scored two more runs to give the Gophers a 3-1 lead.
Two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning gave Minnesota the final 5-1 advantage. After her second single of the game, Conway moved to second on a sacrifice by Howard and scored when pitcher Addie Tallman misplayed a ball off the bat of Malisa Barnes. A double by Shannon Stemper then moved Barnes to third, and Barnes scored the last run of the game on a passed ball with Carls at the plate.
In the 10-1 drubbing of Dayton in the second game, Sudenga recorded her second straight multi-hit game as the Gophers pounded out nine hits and chased Dayton starter Sarah Wedel with a six-run fourth inning.
Hassett (6-3) came on in relief to get her second win of the day, throwing two and a third innings of hitless ball while striking out five. The senior has already recorded 88 strikeouts this season.
Dannie Skrove knocked in the first run of the game when she was hit by a pitch with the bases full in the first inning, but Dayton tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Anne Maci singled to left, scoring Molly Meyer from second.
After the Gophers staked themselves to a 4-1 lead with a three-run second inning, the floodgates opened in the fourth. Minnesota’s six runs came on the strength of three hits and two Flyer errors. Sudenga knocked in a run with her fourth hit of the tournament and teammates Stemper and Conway also each recorded RBIs in the inning.
Hassett struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth to give the Gophers the run-rule victory.
Minnesota is back in action in the Lone Star State tomorrow morning when it takes on Loyola-Chicago at 9:00 a.m. (CT). The Golden Gophers will then face Pittsburgh in their final two games at the Islander Invitational, playing the Panthers at 11:00 a.m. (CT) tomorrow and again at 10:00 a.m. (CT) on Sunday. The game on Sunday will air live on the Gold Zone at gophersports.com.
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Against the host Islanders in the early game, multi-hit performances from Colleen Conway, Heidi Carls and Brianna Sudenga paced the Gophers offensively. Briana Hassett tossed her eighth complete game of the season, striking out four and allowing just three hits.
After TAMU-CC went ahead with a single run in the bottom half of the first frame, Minnesota took the lead for good with a three-run rally in the third inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Sammie Howard’s single through the right side scored Sudenga from third with the tying run. After Minnesota had loaded the bases with two outs, a looping single by Carls over the outstretched glove of Islanders’ second baseman Alejia Cain scored two more runs to give the Gophers a 3-1 lead.
Two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning gave Minnesota the final 5-1 advantage. After her second single of the game, Conway moved to second on a sacrifice by Howard and scored when pitcher Addie Tallman misplayed a ball off the bat of Malisa Barnes. A double by Shannon Stemper then moved Barnes to third, and Barnes scored the last run of the game on a passed ball with Carls at the plate.
In the 10-1 drubbing of Dayton in the second game, Sudenga recorded her second straight multi-hit game as the Gophers pounded out nine hits and chased Dayton starter Sarah Wedel with a six-run fourth inning.
Hassett (6-3) came on in relief to get her second win of the day, throwing two and a third innings of hitless ball while striking out five. The senior has already recorded 88 strikeouts this season.
Dannie Skrove knocked in the first run of the game when she was hit by a pitch with the bases full in the first inning, but Dayton tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Anne Maci singled to left, scoring Molly Meyer from second.
After the Gophers staked themselves to a 4-1 lead with a three-run second inning, the floodgates opened in the fourth. Minnesota’s six runs came on the strength of three hits and two Flyer errors. Sudenga knocked in a run with her fourth hit of the tournament and teammates Stemper and Conway also each recorded RBIs in the inning.
Hassett struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth to give the Gophers the run-rule victory.
Minnesota is back in action in the Lone Star State tomorrow morning when it takes on Loyola-Chicago at 9:00 a.m. (CT). The Golden Gophers will then face Pittsburgh in their final two games at the Islander Invitational, playing the Panthers at 11:00 a.m. (CT) tomorrow and again at 10:00 a.m. (CT) on Sunday. The game on Sunday will air live on the Gold Zone at gophersports.com.
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Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballHighlights: Gophers 5, SIUE 0
Tuesday, March 10
Highlights: Gophers 4, Indiana 6
Sunday, March 08
Highlights: Gophers 2, Indiana 0
Friday, March 06
Highlights: Gophers 6, Central Michigan 1
Saturday, February 21