University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
Gophers Power Way to 14-2 Win over Illinois
3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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URBANA, Ill. - The No. 15 Minnesota softball team kept its current roll going Friday, defeating Illinois, 14-2, in five innings in its first Big Ten game of the season at Eichelberger Stadium in Urbana, Ill. The win was the Gophers' ninth run-rule decision of the year and improved their 2015 record to 25-4. They have now won 11-straight games for the first time since 2002.
The victory also upped the Maroon and Gold's record in true road games to 10-0.
The game was scoreless through the first one and a half innings before the Fighting Illini's Nicole Evans got her team on the board first with a solo home run to left field. Despite entering the game with a 1-4 record when allowing the first run of the game, Minnesota stormed back in the next stanza.
Tyler Walker, who led off the game with a double off the top of the wall, gave the Gophers the lead for good with a two-run home run. After Sam Macken and Kaitlyn Richardson reached base, Sara Groenewegen belted a three-run homer to make it 5-1. Before the inning ended, Taylor LeMay notched a two-run single and Paige Palkovich homered for the second time in as many games with a runner aboard to make it a 9-1 game.
Minnesota did not let up on offense as Groenewegen and Walker each notched her second home run of the game to make it 13-1. Sydney Dwyer capped the Gophers' scoring with an RBI single in the fifth.
Walker has now hit four home runs in her last two games and is tied for the team lead in that category with seven on the season. Friday marked her fifth-career multi-home run game--she now has 40-career home runs, the third-most in program history.
Nikki Anderson finished the evening with two innings pitched in relief of Groenewegen, who racked up eight strikeouts in three innings of work. She is now 16-2 on the season.
The Gophers wrap up their first week of conference play Saturday and Sunday at Illinois. They will travel to Nebraska next week before opening their home slate with a series against No. 4 Michigan.
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