University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Nebraska
Huskers Snap Minnesota's Win Streak
3/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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March 29, 2015
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The No. 12 Minnesota softball team had its program-record 15-game win streak halted with a 5-3 loss to Nebraska at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. Sunday afternoon. The loss was the Gophers' first since March 1 and dropped their record to 29-5.
The result also marked the team's first Big Ten loss of the season, leaving Minnesota with a 5-1 mark in conference play. The Maroon and Gold had started 5-0 in the league for the first time since 1996. It is now 14-1 in road games on the season.
Nebraska pulled ahead early. After Cornhusker pitcher Emily Lockman threw a 1-2-3 first inning, NU capitalized on a Gopher error to plate two runs.
Tyler Walker singled home Sydney Fabian in the third inning to cut Minnesota's deficit to 2-1, but the Huskers responded with a Steph Pasquale RBI single in the bottom of the frame. A Marjani Knighten RBI single in the fourth and a Kiki Stokes RBI double in the sixth made it 5-1.
Despite having their leadoff reach base in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, the Gophers could not muster more than one run through the first six innings.
With two outs in the seventh, Danielle Parlich began a rally with a single to right. After Erika Rozell was hit by a pitch and Madie Eckstrom singled on a pinch-hit appearance, Paige Palkovich narrowed the score with a two-run single down the third-base line. Walker drew a walk to load the bases, but Lockman ended the game with a strikeout.
In the circle, Sara Groenewegen allowed two earned runs in four innings and suffered her third loss of the season, dropping to 18-3.
The Gophers open their home schedule and a seven-game homestand next weekend against No. 4 Michigan. They will then welcome Northwestern, the lone Big Ten team with an unblemished conference record, for a three-game series.
