University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Twins
Twins Top Gophers 3-1 in Minnesota Matchup
3/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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March 4, 2015
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The Golden Gophers lost 3-1 to the Twins in the first exhibition game between the two Minnesota teams since 1987. Gophers head coach John Anderson and first-year Twins manager Paul Molitor, former teammates, exchanged lineup cards before the first installment of a new biennial tradition.
The Gophers took the first lead of the game, but the Twins quickly came back and went ahead. The Twins outhit the Gophers 6-1, and the Gophers committed three errors in the final two innings.
The Gophers scored in the first inning. Dan Motl was hit by pitch and Connor Schaefbauer reached on an error with no outs. Both advanced on a wild pitch while the next two batters struck out. A two-out, infield single by Michael Handel put the Gophers in the lead.
The Twins tied it in the bottom of the inning. Byron Buxton led off with a double, of which Motl nearly made a diving catch. Toby Anderson retired the next two batters before Kennys Vargas hit an RBI double to left-center. Miguel Sano added another two-out hit to center, but Vargas held up at third. Anderson struck out Eddie Rosario to end the inning.
The Twins added another run in the second. Eric Fryer led off with a walk and scored on a two-out double by Buxton.
Starter Jose Berrios sent the Gophers down in order in the second. Then former Gophers pitcher Glen Perkins pitched a 1-2-3 third. Those two, Mark Hamburger, Ryan Pressly and Michael Tonkin combined to retire 24 consecutive Gophers batters.
Following the Twins' first two runs, the Gophers' defense kept them off the scoreboard for the next four innings. With Cody Campbell pitching the third, Handel and Toby Hanson turned a 6-3 double play on Vargas. Handel, Schaefbauer and Hanson added another double play in the fourth.
Jordan Jess and Tyler Hanson turned in a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth, respectively. The Twins tacked on a run in the seventh on Jorge Polanco's solo home run. After a few errors, the Gophers turned their third double play of the game when pitcher Reggie Meyer caught a line drive and threw to Handel for the out at second.
Brian Glowicki struck out two batters in a scoreless eighth inning.
Sixteen Gophers batters/position players saw action in the game, and seven pitchers took the mound.
UP NEXT
The Gophers travel to Omaha, Neb., this weekend for a series against Creighton.
