University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Splits With Sixth-Ranked Northwestern
4/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Minnesota softball team walked off the field at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium with lots of smiles and hugs Wednesday afternoon, as the Golden Gophers split a doubleheader with sixth-ranked Northwestern, becoming the first Big Ten team to defeat the Wildcats this season.
Minnesota (21-22, 4-4 Big Ten) dropped a 6-1 decision in the first game, but bounced back for an 8-3 victory in the nightcap. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Gophers against the Wildcats, dating to a 2-1 win in Evanston in the first game of a doubleheader on April 11, 2004.
“I think it’s a huge win, and it’s great for our mojo,” Minnesota co-head coach Lisa Bernstein said. "Between games, I told them that we were going to win the second game. We had several players playing in positions they don't normally play, but people just stepped up and gave us the type of effort we needed.”
In the opening game, Briana Hassett mowed down 11 Wildcats to move into first place on Minnesota’s single season strikeout list with 320. Hassett entered the day needing just three Ks to move past current Minnesota pitching coach, Piper Marten, who fanned 311 batters during 2003.
"Briana has been pitching so well. Her last four games have been against nationally-ranked teams, and she's combined to strike out 36 batters in those games," Bernstein said. "She just did a great job for us. She knew she was going to throw all 14 innings for us today, and we're just really proud of her."
A pair of big Northwestern innings were enough to move the Wildcats past the Golden Gophers in the first game, though. The Wildcats (23-8, 9-1 Big Ten) scored two runs in the fourth, then put the game out of reach with three in the seventh to extend their unbeaten streak to 12 games.
Minnesota had its chances, but ended up stranding 11 runners and left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning.
NU's Lauren Delaney scattered five hits and struck out eight to get the win and improve to 22-6 on the season. Hassett suffered the loss, slipping to 19-15 on the year.
In the second game, Minnesota jumped out to an 8-1 lead, thanks largely to the bottom part of its order, as well as some erratic pitching by Delaney. The bottom four players in the Gophers' lineup combined to go 6-for-14 with four runs scored and three runs batted in to help Minnesota post its first win against a ranked opponent since a 1-0 defeat of #25 Iowa on April 20, 2008. It also was Minnesota's first win over a Top 10 team since April 27, 2007, when the Gophers defeated ninth-ranked Michigan by a 2-0 score.
Sophomore centerfielder Aubrey Davis (pictured) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while junior third baseman Tina Watts was 2-for-3 with a run scored and three RBI to pace Minnesota at the plate in the second game. Sophomore first baseman Malisa Barnes had her career-long 11-game hitting streak snapped, but she was 0-for-1 with three walks (two intentional) in the game.
Senior pitcher Briana Hassett struck out seven and went the distance for her 28th complete game this season. Hassett recorded her 20th win this season, and increased her national-best strikeout total to 327 in the win. Hassett's season strikeout total ranks seventh among all-time Big Ten pitchers.
The Gophers travel to eighth-ranked Michigan this weekend. The games will mark Minnesota's third consecutive series against teams ranked among the Top 25. Saturday's first pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. (CT).
