University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota-Northern Iowa Blog
4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
#25 Minnesota (14-7) and Northern Iowa (11-13) are set to square off from the Hubert H. Humphery Metrodome. UNI won the first meeting 4 - 3 on March 4th. Here are your starting line-ups for tonight's game.
Northern Iowa- 1) Deric Manrique CF 2) Levin Ferguson RF 3) Jason Summers 1B 4) Travis Bennett LF 5) Brett Douglas 2B 6) James Dinizo DH 7) Jeff Taliaferro C 8) Cory Ege SS 9) Grant Grgurich 3B SP) Chris Macek
Minnesota- 1) Matt Nohelty DH 2) AJ Pettersen SS 3) Derek McCallum 2B 4) Mike Kvasnicka RF 5) Kyle Knudson C 6) Nick O'Shea 1B 7) Eric Decker CF 8) Justin Gominsky LF 9) Kyle Geason 3B SP) Seth Rosin
6:34 PM- Rosin delivers the first pitch which is hit for a line drive out. Northern Iowa 0, Minnesota 0, Top 1.
6:38 PM- Seth Rosin has a terrific first inning. Rosin retires the UNI batters in order on eight pitches. Pitching coach Todd Oakes has indicated that he will use multiple pitchers during this game to give work to the hurlers who were going to throw in Sunday's cancelled game agianst Indiana.Rosin is scheduled to pitch only one inning. Dustin Klabunde is warming up in the bullpen. Northern Iowa 0, Minnesota 0, Bottom 1.
6:47 PM- Dustin Klabunde comes into the ballgame after Rosin retires the first Panther batter. Klabunde is a strong candidate to be the team's midweek starter the rest of the season. So far, Klabunde's power arm has shown flashes of brilliance. The sophomore is only a few consistent outings from becoming a great division I pitcher. Northern Iowa 0, Minnesota 0, Top 2.
7:00 PM-Freshman Justin Gominsky bats for the first time in the state of Minnesota. Gominsky's entrance song is "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant. The tune is immediately a press box favorite. Northern Iowa 0, Minnesota 0, Top 3.
7:05 PM- Northern Iowa draws first blood as Grant Grgurich drives a double down the left field line plating Cory Ege. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 0, Top 3.
7:07 PM- Deric Manrique grounds to third baseman Kyle Geason. Geason then throws home to nail Ege. Geason's heads up play saves the Gophers a run. The young third baseman has played very well at the hot corner this year. Geason is the best defensive third baseman the Gopher's have had since David Hrncirik (2002-2005). Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 0, Top 3.
7:11 PM- Kyle Knudson and Dustin Klabunde combine to catch Manrique stealing second. The Gopher battery called and executed a pitch out perfectly. 9-1-2 coming up for Minnesota. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 0, Bottom 3.
7:17 PM- AJ Pettersen drives home Kyle Geason to tie the score. Northern Iowa then goes to the pen as Bryan delaTorriente takes the hill. Northern Iowa typically uses a strategy similar to Minnesota' tonight. They usually throw a lot of pitchers in order to get them work.
Pettersen has been swinging a hot bat lately. He hit .500 (4/8) in Bloomington, Indiana last weekend. His offense has earned him the second spot in the batting order. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 1, Bottom 3.
7:18 PM- Derek McCallum squirts a single to left field scoring Matt Nohelty. With the hit, McCallum extends his RBI streak to seven games. McCallum is now tied with Mike Kvasnicka for the team lead in RBI's at 26. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 2, Bottom 3.
7:25 PM- Eric Decker beats out an infield single to score the Gopher's third run of the inning. delaTorriente has thrown 14 strikes in 14 pitchers. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 3, Top 4.
7:30 PM- Scott Fern comes in to relieve Klabunde. Minnesota already has Tyler Oakes warming in the pen. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 3, Top 4.
7:33 PM- Kyle Knudson throws out his second runner of the evening. Knudson has done a great job throwing out runners this year. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 3, Top 4.
7:39 PM- Matt Nohelty drives a triple to centerfield. Kyle Geason scores on the hit after drawing his team leading 21st walk. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 4, Bottom 4.
7:41 PM- Derek McCallum grounds to third scoring Nohelty. McCallum has two RBI's on the night. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 5, Bottom 4.
7:45 PM- Tyler Oakes is now pitching for the Gophers. The senior is drawing near the end of his career but Gopher fans will see another pitcher from the Oakes family next year. Todd's middle son, TJ, has signed to play for Minnesota in 2010. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 5, Top 5.
8:01 PM- UNI calls Reggie Hochstedler out of the bullpen. Minnesota has already scored one run when the UNI shortstop allows a Gominsky ground ball to go under his glove. Minnesota has runners on first and second with two outs. Matt Nohelty is at the plate. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 6, Bottom 5.
8:03 PM- Matt Nohelty flies to center to end the fifth inning. Allen Bechstein comes out to pitch for the Gophers in the sixth. Bechstein is Minnesota's fourth pitcher of the game. Northern Iowa 1, Minnesota 6, Top 6.
8:19 PM- Bechstein has proved hittable this inning and the Gopher defense has faltered him. Bechstein has given up six hits in two-thirds of an inning, three runs (only one earned). The Gopher's made two errors in the inning. Tim Ryan comes on to relieve Bechstein. Northern Iowa 5, Minnesota 6, Top 6.
8:27 PM- UNI ties it up on a Jeff Taliaferro single to center. UNI then takes the lead on a wild pitch. The Panthers have scored six runs this inning but only one run has been earned. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 6, Bottom 6.
8:30 PM- Northern Iowa's six run, sixth inning is the biggest inning by a Gopher opponent in 2009. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 6, Bottom 6.
8:35 PM- Minnesota ties the game as Mike Kvasnicka drives in AJ Pettersen with a line drive to left field. The Gopher have now scored in four straight innings. The Panthers then call upon Scott Airy to bring relief. Minnesota and Northern Iowa have a history of playing long and high scoring games. This one is shaping up no different. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 7, Bottom 6.
8:45 PM- Minnesota does not capitalize with the bases loaded and two outs. The Gophers cannot afford to miss out on scoring chances like this during these high scoring midweek games especially. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 7, Top 7.
8:52 PM- Tim Ryan does a nice job settling the Panther bats in the seventh inning. Ryan continues to improve with each outing as he becomes more comfortable with the transition into a submarine pitcher. It's stretch time here at the Metrodome! Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 7, Bottom 7.
9:02 PM- Minnesota has another threat brewing as Matt Nohelty and AJ Pettersen are on second and first base, respectively. Derek McCallum and Mike Kvasnicka are due up with one out. McCallum and Kvasnicka are two of the Big Ten's most dangerous hitters. Northern Iowa brings in Ivan Lopez to relieve Scott Airy. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 7, Bottom 7.
9:12 PM- The Gophers fail to score for the first time since the second inning. The Gopher offense have had their chances to blow this one open but have failed to capitalize so far. Scott Matyas has come in relief. Matyas has one of the top relievers for Minnesota. He relies on a 88-90 mph fastball and slider. Northern Iowa 7, Minnesota 7, Top 8.
9:20 PM - Northern Iowa takes the lead back after Jeff Taliaferro laced an 0-2 pitch into left center field for a two-run double that plated Jason Summers and Brett Douglas to give the Panthers a 9-7 lead. Summer had a leadoff double to begin the inning, and moved up on a fly out. Brett Douglas was walked intentionally to make it first and third with one out, before Scott Matyas struck out James Dinizo for the second out of the inning. Northern Iowa 9, Minnesota 7, Bottom 8
9:27 PM - Eric Decker gets on with a one-out single, but was wiped out on the base paths when he tried to take second on a ball in the dirt. Freshman Sam Ryan came up with a two-out pinch-hit double. Ryan now has four doubles in 12 at-bats this year. Northern Iowa brings in its sixth pitcher of the game in junior righthander Josh Gibbs. Gibbs is the 13th pitcher of the game overall. Northern Iowa 9, Minnesota 7, Bottom 8
9:32 PM- Minnesota strands Sam Ryan on second as Northern Iowa takes a two run lead into the top of the 9th. Northern Iowa 9, Minnesota 7, Top 9.
9:39 PM- Matyas pitches a 1-2-3 inning as Minnesota heads out looking to score a couple against new Northern Iowa pitcher Shuhei Fujiya. The Gophers will be sending up the top of the order. Northern Iowa 9, Minnesota 7, Bottom 9.
9:40 PM- The story of the night has been runners left on base. Northern Iowa has left only two runners while Minnesota has stranded 14.
9:49 PM- Minnesota leaves another runner on the base paths as they fail to score. Northern Iowa completes the season sweep of Minnesota. This games marks the final time Minnesota and Northern Iowa will match up as Northern Iowa is discontinuing their baseball program following this year.
Northern Iowa 9, Minnesota 7, FINAL
