University of Minnesota Athletics
Seventh Inning Rally Falls Short Against Spartans
4/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. - The Minnesota softball team almost had the comeback complete today (Apr. 2) on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Michigan State, but could only manage one run in the seventh as the Gophers fell 2-1 to the Spartans.
Minnesota (15-22, 1-2) drops their second straight after opening Big Ten play with a win last week. The Gophers put together six hits after being no-hit until the fifth inning. Whitney Erickson (San Ramon, Calif.) was the first to reach base and finished with two hits on the day - tying her high in the maroon and gold - and was joined by Malisa Barnes (Phoenix, Ariz.) who also had two hits on the day.
Michigan State (15-17, 1-2) gets their first Big Ten win after opening league play with two losses to Iowa. The Spartans connected for just five hits on the day, collecting both of their runs in the third inning. This is just the Gophers fourth loss on the season when have finished the game out-hitting their opponent.
After two scoreless innings Michigan State was the first to crack the scoreboard, manufacturing two runs in the bottom of the third. The threat started early as the Spartans first two batters reached base, and with no outs they had runners on second and third. With two runners in scoring position, Lindsey Hansen had the first chance to bring them home but her shot up the middle was quickly snapped up by shortstop Dannie Skrove (Zimmerman, Minn.) who threw home for the out, keeping the Spartans off the board.
After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third again, Jessica Bracamonte grounded out to second base bringing home Kylene Hopkins for a 1-0 lead. A passed ball in the next at bat brought home Hansen for the 2-0 lead which is where the game would stay until the seventh.
The Gophers had their first good chance in the top of the sixth inning, still down just two as starter Lacey Middlebrooks (Wake Village, Texas) was impressive all game long. Middlebrooks pitched all seven innings allowing just five hits and two runs, neither of which were earned. She walked just one and struck out six but falls to 15-11 on the season.
The Gophers were held hitless until the fifth when Erickson singled to left field with two outs in the top of the inning. Kelsey Klucas (Aitkin, Minn.) came in to pinch run for Erickson and Natalie Neal came in to pinch hit for Skrove. Spartan starter Lauren Kramer was dominant all day long, striking out 10 Gophers in the win, including Neal to end the inning.
Minnesota's first two batters in the sixth also sat down with strikeouts before Barnes started the rally with a sharp single to left. A single by Abby Rehberger (Brainerd, Minn.) and a walk from Alex Davis (Harbor City, Calif.) loaded the bases for Heidi Carls (Villard, Minn.). Carls became another Kramer casualty, as she went down swinging to end the inning.
In their final at bat, the Gophers again put together a rally, this time scoring their first run when Barnes singled home Skrove with a hard single up the middle. The hit was cut off by the second basemen, holding the runners and likely preventing the tying run from scoring. Down just one with two outs and the bases loaded, Rehberger ended the game when her hit was scooped up by the Spartan shortstop and used to tag out Sammie Howard (Shoreview, Minn.) ending the game.
The Gophers will look to even the series tomorrow (Apr. 4) in the second game of the series, again set for a 12:00 p.m. start.
