University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Rally Late, but Purdue Closes Out Sweep
5/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Minneapolis - The University of Minnesota softball team was looking for the series split, but Purdue tacked on seven runs over the fifth and sixth innings on their way to an 11-2 win.
Minnesota (15-32, 1-12) broke out of a 12-inning scoreless streak in the fifth inning today, when a Kari Dorle (South St. Paul, Minn.) double brought home Chonquita Jones (Chicago) and Heidi Carls (Villard, Minn.). The two runs cut into a 7-0 Purdue lead at the start of the inning.
After Carls started the inning by reaching base on a Purdue error, she was knocked over to second on a single from Natalie Neal (Frisco, Texas). Jones came in to run for Neal, before scoring on the Dorle double.
The Gophers scored both runs before the Boilermakers recorded an out, but despite having runners in scoring position for the rest of the inning, were unable to cut further into the lead.
Purdue (26-24, 7-7) scored right away for the second straight game, getting one on the board in the first, despite a hitless inning. They were held scoreless in the second, before adding two in the third, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and four in the sixth to push the final margin to 11-2 and end the game.
The Boilermakers out-hit the Gophers 10-to-3 in the game, with the bulk of the damage done in their four-hit, four-run sixth inning. The Gophers got hits from Neal, Dorle and Dannie Skrove (Zimmerman, Minn.), with the two RBI from Dorle tying a career high. They were also her first since Mar. 6, ending a streak of 27 games without knocking in a run.
Alissa Koch (Racine, Wis.) pitched all 6.0 innings in the loss, giving up all 11 runs, nine of which were earned. The Gophers committed three errors on the day, the eighth time on the season with three or more, but the first since Apr. 11.
Koch gave up 10 hits and struck out two, while walking five on the day, and falls to 0-19 on the season. Her counterpart, Boilermaker starter Suzie Rzegocki, pitched 4.2 innings allowing three hits while walking two and striking out four. She takes credit for both runs and improves to 21-19 on the season, having won each this weekend.
All three of the Gophers hits came in the fifth inning, as they were held hitless in the first through the fourth. In the first, third and fourth innings, the Gophers went down in order. The three hits were also the fewest since logging just one hit against Michigan on Apr. 11.
Still in search of their second Big Ten win, the Gophers will return to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium next weekend, as they host their final weekend series of the year. Border rival Iowa heads north on May 8 and 9 for a pair of 1:00 p.m. games, and then the Gophers finish off the home season with a midweek double-header against Wisconsin on May 12 at 4:00 p.m.
Next week's games with Iowa will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
