University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Opens Spartan Classic with Two Wins
2/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Freshman pitcher Sara Moulton recorded her first career complete game shutout and Minnesota handed Kansas its first loss of the season as the Gophers opened the Spartan Classic with a pair of wins on Friday. The Gophers opened the tournament with a 4-0 shutout over Morehead State and closed out the day with a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Jayhawks.
Minnesota 4, Morehead State 0
Freshman pitcher Sara Moulton picked up the first complete game shutout of her career on Friday morning as the Minnesota softball team blanked Morehead State 4-0 in the opening game of the Spartan Classic in Greensboro, N.C.
Minnesota jumped out to a one-run lead in the first inning when Aubrey Davis laced a triple to left center before scoring on a single by Alex Davis. The RBI was Davis' first of three in the game while the sophomore also was 4-for-4 from the plate.
The Gophers would add a pair of runs in the third to bump their lead to 3-0. Allie Siu reached on a fielding error and advanced to second on a single by Malisa Barnes. The pair of base runners then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Aubrey Davis and scored when Alex Davis hit a double to right center.
Barnes would cross the plate for a second time in the fifth inning to close out the game's scoring. The senior would lead off with a single to center before eventually scoring from third on an RBI groundout by Kari Dorle.
Moulton pitched all seven innings, striking out six and walking two to pick up her fourth win of the year. Ashley Imperial took the loss for the Eagles, pitching all seven innings with 10 hits, three earned runs against, three strikeouts and one walk.
Minnesota 5, Kansas 4
A two-run seventh inning by the Minnesota women's softball team closed out a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Kansas in the second game of the Spartan Classic, handing the Jayhawks their first loss of the season.
Barnes gave the Gophers a good omen for things to come when she opened the game with a leadoff home run for her third on the season. The senior's shot would be quickly answered by Kansas however when Alex Jones walked and Liz Kocon hit a two-run shot to put the Jayhawks up 2-1. Kansas would add another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Marissa Ingle scored on a sacrifice fly after walking to lead off and Kocon grounded out to first to score Hille, putting the Jayhawks up 4-1.
But Minnesota (5-6 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) would piece together a pair of two-run innings in the sixth and seventh to take a 5-0 lead. Aubrey Davis reached on a fielder's choice after Barnes walked to lead off the fourth, and Alex Davis brought her teammate around to score on a two-run home run to left center. Down by a run, Minnesota's comeback started with one out in the final inning as Bree Blanchette reached first after being hit by a pitch and then advanced to second when Allie Siu singled to third. Siu would advance to third on a passed ball, and Barnes would walk to load the bases for Aubrey Davis. Davis, who entered the day ranked second in the Big Ten with 17 hits, added her most crucial one of the day when she sliced a single to the shortstop, plating the tying run in Blanchette. Alex Davis would bring home Siu for the go-ahead run as the Gophers went into the final half inning up for the first time since the top of the first.
And in the bottom of the seventh, Minnesota's defense held on to bring the Gophers within one game of .500. After the first two batters reached and advanced on a sacrifice, relief pitcher Sara Moulton forced Jones to groundout without plating a run for out number two and then caught Mariah Montgomery looking to earn her second win of the day.
Moulton pitched 1.2 innings in the afternoon game to improve her record to 5-4. The freshman struck out a pair of batters and allowed just one hit. Alissa Koch earned a no decision in the start, striking out five in 5.1 innings of work while allowing four runs on seven hits with six walks. Allie Clark picked up the loss for Kansas, who fell to 10-1 on the season.
