University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
UCF
Gophers Split Sunday Contests
2/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
CLERMONT, Fla. - The No. 12/13 Minnesota softball team defeated UMass Lowell, 8-0, in six innings and fell to Central Florida, 4-0, at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. Sunday to conclude its weekend slate of games. The Gophers matched their best start in program history by improving to 8-0 with the shutout of the River Hawks and dropped their first game of the season in the loss to the Knights.
The win against UML was fifth-year head coach Jessica Allister's 150th with the program.
Against the River Hawks, the Gophers scored runs in each of the first three innings to seize a lead they would not let go of. Hannah Granger drew a bases-loaded walk in the first, Sam Macken notched an RBI single in the second and Erica Meyer hit an RBI double and scored on an errant throw by the catcher in the third to make it 4-0 after three.
The scoring finished in a four-run Minnesota sixth when Granger blasted a three-run home run and Erika Rozell registered her first collegiate home run, a solo shot, to make it 8-0.
Nikki Anderson fanned seven River Hawk batters to earn the first shutout of her career. She improved to 2-0 on the year with the victory.
Undefeated UCF became the second team to shut the Gophers out in the past two seasons as pitcher Shelby Turnier limited Minnesota to four hits, striking out 12. Sara Groenewegen struck out 11 batters, while allowing one earned run in six inning of work in the circle.
Central Florida received a solo home run from Jessica Ujvari in the third and a pinch-hit three-run homer from Courtney Rotton in the fourth to get all the offense they needed.
The Gophers will resume action next weekend at the Diamond Devil Tournament in Tempe, Ariz. They will play New Mexico State, Boise State twice, Arizona State and Colorado State.
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