University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Splits Pair of Big Ten Games With Iowa
4/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota softball team split a Big Ten doubleheader with Iowa on Wednesday evening at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium, giving the Gophers their second conference win of the season and equaling the program's total from 2010. Minnesota opened the series with a 4-2 win over the Hawkeyes before falling 2-1 in the nightcap.
Minnesota 4, Iowa 2
Behind a 2-for-2 performance from the plate by freshman Bree Blanchette and a 10 strikeout performance from freshman Sara Moulton on the mound, the Minnesota softball team extended its winning streak to five games in Wednesday's opening battle with Iowa, beating the Hawkeyes 4-2 in the first of two games.
The Gophers would score all four of their runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after the first three batters reached safely to open the inning. Kari Dorle led off with a walk before Alex Davis and Sara DuPaul both singled to load the bases. Pinch hitter Mallory Mitchell then walked to bring in the game's first run, but Minnesota would add three more before the inning was through. Aubrey Davis would bring in Alex Davis with a fielder's choice, Blanchette would plate Siu with a single and Aubrey Davis would come around to score on an error after Iowa's right fielder misplayed a single by Malisa Barnes to close out the inning's scoring.
A four-run lead was more than enough for Moulton on the mound. The freshman threw five innings of shutout softball before surrendering a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Moulton improved her record to 21-10 with the win after allowing one earned run on six hits in seven innings of work. Her 10 strikeout performance tallied the eighth time this season she has hit double digit strikeouts. Kayla Massey took the loss for Iowa, allowing four runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Minnesota 1, Iowa 2
Minnesota's five-game winning streak came to an end after Wednesday night's finale with Iowa handing the Gophers a 2-1 loss to split the doubleheader.
All three runs would come in the third inning with the Hawkeyes jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top half before Malisa Barnes tallied Minnesota's only hit of the game - a line drive that cleared the right field fence for the senior's fifth home run of the season - to bring the Gophers (24-17 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) to within a run.
But that would be all the Gophers could piece together on the scoreboard as a determined Hawkeyes defense repeatedly shut the door when Minnesota had scoring chances. Minnesota, which left just four hitters on the base path to the Hawkeyes' nine, had its best chance to tie the game and potentially take the lead when Bree Blanchette and Malisa Barnes both tallied two-out walks to bring up Dannie Skrove . The junior second baseman drove a liner into the right center gap, which easily would have scored the speedy Blanchette from second had centerfielder Ashley Akers not ran down the line drive for an impressive third out.
Allisa Koch took the loss for Minnesota, dropping her record to 3-7 on the year. Iowa (22-16, 5-3) scored a pair of unearned runs against the junior, who allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked just one in six innings of work. Chelsea Lyon took the win for Iowa, throwing all seven innings and allowing one run on one hit. The Hawkeyes pitcher walked four and struck out three in the contest.
Minnesota returns to action with a two-game series against Penn State this weekend at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Saturday's series opener kicks off at 1 p.m. while Sunday's finale will now start at 11 a.m. to facilitate travel arrangements by the Nittany Lions.
