University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball Falls to Spartans in Series Finale
5/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Gophers (28-21 overall, 6-8 Big Ten) kept the contest close for the majority of the series finale before a late attack by the Spartans ended the contest after five innings. For the second day in a row, the Spartans jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, on Sunday, the Gophers were not able to duplicate their rebuttal to the opponents' early score. The score would remain 1-0 until the fourth inning when Michigan State plated a pair of runners before a nine-run fifth inning put the Gophers down by a dozen.
Minnesota wouldn't go quietly however. The first five Gophers to come to the plate in the bottom of the fifth would single starting with Allie Siu in the seven hole. After Aubrey Davis and Bree Blanchette would both single to move Siu to third, the Gophers right fielder would come in on Malisa Barne's base knock. Davis would score on the next at-bat when Dannie Skrove added the fifth single of the inning to give Minnesota its second run of the day.
In all, six different Gophers would tally hits on Sunday including Alex Davis' lead-off double to left field in the second inning. But six hits and two runs were all that Spartans pitcher Cassee Layne would allow. Layne threw five innings in the win, striking out two and walking two in the contest to improve to 11-13 on the year. Sara Moulton (25-13) took the loss for the Gophers, throwing four innings and surrendering six earned runs on seven hits.
Minnesota returns to action on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Northwestern before taking on Michigan next weekend in Ann Arbor. Following the four-game road stretch, the Gophers return home in two weeks for the season finale against Illinois.
