University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Florida Gulf Coast
Fiedler Leads Gophers in 5-4 Win
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Feb. 28, 2015
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Matt Fiedler was just a double short of the cycle in the Golden Gophers' come-from-behind 5-4 win at Florida Gulf Coast. Minnesota has a 2-0 series lead after erasing a 4-0 first-inning deficit Saturday. The Gophers out-hit the Eagles 12-6.
Minnesota had cut the Eagles' lead to 4-2 when Fiedler came up to bat in the fifth. The right fielder hit a two-run homer off the top of the left field wall, scoring Connor Schaefbauer and tying the game 4-4. Fiedler tripled and scored the go-ahead run on Michael Handel's single in the seventh. He finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.
FGCU had taken its early lead when an Adam Eggnatz hit to left cleared the bases with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. Minnesota started cutting into that advantage with four straight singles by Jordan Smith, Dan Motl, Schaefbauer and Fiedler in the third to make it 4-2.
After the first, Gophers starter Dalton Sawyer (1-2) did not allow another run the rest of his 6 2/3 innings on the way to a win. He struck out a career-high seven batters, walked four and allowed six hits. Ty McDevitt earned his first save of the season by retiring the seven batters he faced, including two strikeouts. Reliever Sterling Koerner (2-1) took the loss for FGCU after 5 2/3 innings of work.
NOTABLES
*Fiedler's home run was the first of his career and the Gophers' first of the season. His three hits tied a career high set at Indiana last year.
*The 12 hits and five runs were season highs for Minnesota.
*Smith hit 2-for-4 and Motl and Schaefbauer each hit 2-for-5. Motl and Handel each stole a base.
*McDevitt entered the game with runners on the corners and retired Colton Bottomley with one pitch.
*Micah Coffey made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter.
UP NEXT
First pitch for the third and final game of the series is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST. The time has moved an hour earlier than originally scheduled.
