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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Defeat Northwestern 7-4 in Series Opener
4/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team (11-13, 3-4) rallied from an early 3-0 deficit as it came from behind to defeat Northwestern (9-21, 2-5) 7-3 at Target Field on Friday, Apr. 15.
Minnesota was led by Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) who went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and four RBI. The four RBI were a season-high for O'Shea. Trip Schultz (Forest Lake, Minn.) also knocked in a pair of runs and was 1-for-3.
Andy Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) was 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base, while AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.) was 2-for-4 with two runs. Pettersen has collected a hit in 23 of the Gophers' 24 games this year. Matt Puhl (North St. Paul, Minn.) was also 1-for-3 with a double and a run.
TJ Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) picked up the win to move to 3-4, as he gave up five hits, one earned run, did not walk a batter and struck out five in six innings of work. Billy Soule (Hamel, Minn.) pitched two shutout innings of relief, as he gave up one hit, two walks and struck out a batter. Soule has now pitched 8.1 shutout innings over his last four outings.
Scott Matyas (North Prairie, Wis.) came in to finish the game in the ninth inning. Matyas gave up his first run of the season in his inning of work. It was the first run surrendered by Matyas since May 27, 2010 when he gave up a run against Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament.
Northwestern starter Michael Jahns took a no-decision, as he gave up three hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts in five innings. Jack Quigley took the loss to fall to 1-1, as he gave up four hits, four runs, walked two and struck out one in 1.1 innings.
The Wildcats were the first to bring in runs as they scored two in the top of the second. Kyle Ruchim hit a one-out triple to bring in Jack Havey, who had reached on an error. Jake Straub followed with an RBI ground out to bring in Ruchim and to make it 2-0.
In the top of the third, Trevor Stevens singled stole second, moved to third on an infield single and scored on a well-executed suicide squeeze by Chris Lashmet to make it 3-0.
The Golden Gophers got on board with a single run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-1. With one out, O'Shea singled, moved up to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a passed ball. Schultz plated O'Shea with an RBI single to cut the Wildcat lead to two runs.
The Gophers generated a comeback in the sixth to take their first lead of the day. Henkemeyer singled through the right side to lead off the inning and then stole second. Pettersen followed by drawing a walk to make it first and second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Justin Gominsky (Mahtomedi, Minn.) drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases.
O'Shea saw first plated Henkemeyer with an RBI fielder's choice ground out to make it 3-2. Schultz dropped a bloop single to left field to plate Pettersen to tie the game 3-3. Quigley walked Olinger to once again load the bases, and Geason delivered a sacrifice fly to center to take the 4-3 lead with a run from O'Shea.
Minnesota put up another three-run inning in the bottom of the seventh to move ahead 7-3. Puhl led off the inning with a walk, and moved to second on an infield single by Henkemeyer on a slow chopper in front of the plate. Pettersen laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Quigley bounced back to strike out Gominsky, but O'Shea cleared the bases with a three-run double to right center field to give Minnesota a four-run lead.
Northwestern got a run in the top of the ninth when Stevens brought home Hamilton Wise on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.
The Wildcats were led by Wise who was 2-for-4 with a run. Lashmet was also 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Stevens and Ruchim both went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Minnesota will continue the series when it faces Northwestern on Saturday, Apr. 16 at 3:05 p.m. and Sunday, Apr. 17 at 1:05 p.m.
