University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
California
Gophers Blast Four Homers in Win Over Cal
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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BERKELEY, Calif. - The No. 15 Minnesota softball team scored an impressive win in its final game before Big Ten play, defeating No. 12/14 California, 8-1, at Levine-Fricke Field in Berkeley, Calif. Wednesday. The Gophers extended their longest winning streak since 2008 to 10 games and improved their record to 24-4 with the victory.
Minnesota hit four home runs in the game, upping its season total in that category to 42 in 28 games. The Maroon and Gold is now 6-0 against Pac-12 opponents, 9-0 in true road games and 3-0 versus top-25 teams.
Senior Tyler Walker led off the game with a home run with a home run to right field to give the Gophers a lead they would not relinquish.
After a Sam Macken single through the left side scored Erica Meyer and made the score 2-0 in the second inning, Paige Palkovich further padded the lead in the fourth inning with a solo home run. Minnesota went on to add two more runs in the frame to make it 5-0.
Palkovich became the 13th Gopher to hit a home run this season.
In the fifth inning, Walker launched her second home run of the game, a two-run shot, to make it 7-0. Walker's multi-home run game was the fourth of her career and first since May 10, 2014 when she hit a pair of long balls in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal win over Ohio State. She now has 38-career home runs, the third-most in program history.
Cal got on the board with one run in the bottom of the fifth, but Hannah Granger capped the scoring and a 4-for-4 night at the plate with her team-leading seventh homer of the season.
In the circle, Sara Groenewegen struck out 12 Golden Bear batters in a complete game victory. She surpassed her freshman season win total by moving to 15-2 on the season. She now has eight double-digit strikeout performances this year.
The Gophers open their Big Ten season with games against Illinois Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They will travel to Nebraska next week before opening their home slate with a series against No. 4 Michigan.
