University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Houston
Gophers Lose in Bottom of the Ninth
2/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Feb. 15, 2015
The University of Minnesota baseball team lost 5-4 in a back-and-forth game at No. 3 Houston as the Cougars swept the series. The Golden Gophers (0-3) took an early 3-0 lead, fell behind, tied the game in the top of the ninth and lost on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth.
Alex Boxwell, who hit 2-for-4 with two runs in his debut, led off the ninth with a single. He advanced to third after an error and a groundout, then Matt Fiedler drove him in with a hit to the outfield to make it 4-4. Fiedler was tagged out after over-sliding second.
Houston took advantage of two hit batsmen in the bottom of the inning. Ian Rice and Ashford Fulmer were each hit and both advanced on a passed ball. Connor Wong hit a grounder up the left line, which created a difficult play for pitcher Lance Thonvold. The throw home was not in time, and Rice scored the winning run.
Each team had eight hits. Dan Motl hit 2-for-5 for the Gophers with two RBIs and a run. Chris Iriart and Zac Taylor each went 2-for-4 for the Cougars, and Taylor scored three runs.
Bubba Maxwell recorded the final out of the ninth and got the win for the Cougars. Thonvold pitched 1 1/3 and took the loss. Gophers starter Neal Kunik pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks. Houston starter Aaron Garza went five innings and gave up Minnesota's first three runs.
OTHER NOTABLE MOMENTS AND FACTS
*Motl led off the game with a single to right-center. He stole second, and advanced to third ahead of the throw after Jordan Smith's flyout to center. Connor Schaefbauer drove Motl in with a grounder to second.
*Motl came through again in the second with a two-run single to left. Tony Skjefte's walk and singles by Boxwell and Matt Halloran had loaded the bases. Skjefte got out at home on a fielder's choice, and Motl's single came with two outs to make it 3-0.
*Houston made it 3-2 in the third. Taylor reached on a leadoff bunt single, then scored on Rice's single. Josh Vidales walked and scored on a base hit by Ashford Fulmer. Matt Fiedler relieved Kunik with two outs and stranded two baserunners.
*Four Cougars walked in the fourth to tie it up. With the bases loaded and two outs, Brian Glowicki entered in relief and got a groundball out to keep the score 3-3.
*Connor Wong fouled off 10 straight pitches against Glowicki before lining out in the fifth.
*Taylor led off the sixth with a double and scored the Cougars' first go-ahead run on a single by Josh Vidales to make it 4-3.
*Minnesota used five pitchers: Kunik, Fiedler (who later moved to the DH spot), Glowicki, Jordan Jess and Thonvold.
UP NEXT
The Gophers return to the state of Texas to play the Texas Longhorns in Austin. The four-game series, with a doubleheader Saturday, is scheduled for Feb. 20-22.
