University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Creighton
Gophers Win in 12 at Creighton
3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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March 7, 2015
The University of Minnesota baseball team won 8-6 in 12 innings at Creighton. The Golden Gophers (4-7) tied Creighton (5-4) 3-3 in the ninth after trailing 3-0, then scored five runs in the 12th. Minnesota had 11 hits and three errors, while Creighton had 10 hits and one error.
Second baseman Connor Schaefbauer drove in outfielder Jordan Smith for the go-ahead run, right fielder Matt Fiedler hit an RBI single and shortstop Michael Handel hit a three-run home run in the 12th. Fiedler hit 4-for-6 with three runs, a triple, an RBI and a game-saving catch in the 11th inning with a man on third.
Creighton made it close again in the bottom of the 12th when left fielder Brett Murray hit a three-run homer. Second baseman Ryan Fitzgerald followed up with a double, but the Gophers got the final out next. Murray batted 3-for-6 for Creighton.
Brian Glowicki earned his first win of the season with 3 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed two hits and struck out two. Lucas Gilbreath also held Creighton scoreless, going 2 1/3 innings. He walked two and did not allow a hit. Starter Ben Meyer allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out eight in five innings of work. David Gerber took the loss for the Blue Jays.
HOW IT HAPPENED/NOTABLES
*Bottom 1: Center fielder Daniel Woodrow led off with a double to left field. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Nicky Lopez and scored on first baseman Reagan Fowler's groundout.
*Meyer threw 15 pitches to Fitzgerald in his first plate appearance of the game, which resulted in a 3-2 walk.
*Top 2: Gophers third baseman Tony Skjefte singled and first baseman Tyler Hanson was hit by pitch to lead off, but a popped up bunt and a 6-4-3 double play stranded them on base.
*Bottom 3: Creighton found good fortune to make its lead 3-0. A Lopez popup to the mound fell untouched for a single. Fowler reached second on an error, with Lopez scoring on the play. Fitzgerald placed a double in shallow center out of range of left fielder Jordan Smith and Schaefbauer to score Fowler.
*Top 4: The Gophers started chipping away at the lead. Fiedler led off with a triple and scored on a grounder by Handel to make it 3-1.
*Top 6: Schaefbauer doubled with one out and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but two fly ball outs left him there.
*Top 7: Skjefte drew a leadoff walk before the Gophers pinch hit with three straight left-handed batters against right-hander Nick Highberger. Toby Hanson's hit-and-run single moved Skjefte to third. Skjefte scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Alex Boxwell.
*Bottom 8: Glowicki entered the game with two base runners and one out. Catcher Matt Halloran picked off Fitzgerald at first, then the next batter grounded out.
*Top 9: Fiedler hit a leadoff single, stole second on a strikeout and reached third on a wild pitch. Two-out walks by Toby Hanson and pinch hitter Troy Traxler loaded the bases. Halloran drew a walk and Fiedler scored to tie the game at 3.
*Creighton twice changed pitchers during plate appearances in the ninth. John Oltman inherited a 1-0 count, as did Traxler when he hit for Boxwell. David Gerber inherited a 2-0 count to Halloran.
*Bottom 9: The Blue Jays looked to end the game when catcher Kevin Lamb led off with a triple. But two groundouts and lineout to second forced extra innings.
*Bottom 11: Fiedler made a diving catch in right field with a runner on third to save a run and end the inning.
*Fiedler's four hits were a new career high. His was the second four-hit game by a Gopher this season, as Smith had one in the last game at Florida Gulf Coast.
*Handel's home run was the ninth of his career.
*Glowicki's outing was his longest career relief appearance. Gilbreath's 2 1/3-inning appearance was also a new career high.
*Meyer's eight strikeouts were a season high.
*Pinch hitters led to several defensive changes for Minnesota. Smith moved from center to left to center during the game, when Boxwell and Traxler entered the game. Skjefte moved from third to left after Traxler pinch hit for Boxwell, and Micah Coffey came in to play third. Tyler and Toby Hanson played first, and Halloran and Austin Athmann both caught.
*Due to muddy conditions, the game was played with a temporary fence at the edge of the warning track in right field. The fence did not come into play, as Murray's home run to right easily cleared the permanent wall and no other hits reached that far.
UP NEXT
The Gophers and Blue Jays will no longer play a doubleheader Sunday. They will play one game starting at 1:30 p.m. CDT.
