University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Nebraska
Nebraska Escapes Gophers in Extra Innings
4/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 1, 2012
In a marathon of a game that lasted two hours and 50 minutes, the University of Minnesota softball team clawed back to force extra innings against Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers prevailed as they score a run in the eighth to win 5-4. The Gophers' lose nullified the team's desire to pull off the sweep over Nebraska in their home opening series.
The Golden Gophers (21-10, 3-3 Big Ten) would enter the sixth down 4-3, but freshman Tyler Walker snagged the heroics as she blasted a solo home run to centerfield, evening the score at four. Walker's seventh homer of the season would eventually force extra innings.
Despite keeping the Nebraska (21-14, 4-2 Big Ten) offense scoreless in the sixth and seventh, the Huskers' persistence would prevail in the eighth inning.
Brooke Thomason led off the inning for the Huskers and forced a Sara Moulton walk. The junior outfielder would be bumped around to third on a sacrifice bunt and ground out. Mattie Fowler would be the Husker to knock in Thomason from third for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.
The Gophers headed to bottom half of the inning with hopes of garnering at least one run to force another inning, but Minnesota would go three up, three down and fall 5-4.
Moulton toed the rubber for the Maroon and Gold and threw eight complete innings. The sophomore pitcher allowed a total of nine hits, walked four batters and fanned four as well.
The game started out as a shootout with Nebraska jumping on top 2-0 in the top half of the first, but Minnesota rolled with the punches and garnered two of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
The first four batters of the Gopher order reached base safely as Walker led off with a single to right and fellow freshman Kaitlyn Richardson doubled to left center. Junior first baseman Alex Davis would walk in the ensuing at bat to load the bases for Kari Dorle. The North St. Paul, Minn. native would provide the clutch hit as she chopped a seeing-eye single through the right side to score Walker and Richardson.
Minnesota notched three hits in the first inning but struggled at the dish the rest of the game. Walker served as the Gophers' biggest threat at the plate as the shortstop went 2-for-3 with a home run.
Neither team would score in the second, but Minnesota snagged its first and only lead of the game in the bottom of the third.
Richardson and Dorle would reach safely as they each were walked. Freshman Madie Eckstrom would hit a double to the center fielder wall, which plated Richardson and made the score 3-2 in favor of the Gophers.
Their lead wouldn't last long as Nebraska pieced together back-to-back doubles in the fifth inning en route to a two-run inning. The Cornhuskers would carry their 4-3 lead into the sixth but had it taken away on Walker's equalizing home run.
Minnesota hops back on the road next weekend as they head to Madison, Wis. for the Border Battle with the Badgers. The two foes have one game slated for Friday, April 6 with a doubleheader schedule for the following day.
