University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Northwestern
Gophers Double Up Wildcats, 10-5
4/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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April 10, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 15/11 Minnesota softball team handed Northwestern its first Big Ten loss of the season Friday night, defeating the Wildcats, 10-5, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers improved to 31-7 and 7-3 in the conference with the victory. It was the Maroon and Gold's 99th win at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium and at two hours, 46 minutes, was the team's second-longest game of the season.
Gopher sophomore Sara Groenewegen notched a career-high 15 strikeouts en route to her 20th win of the season in the pitching circle.
Danielle Parlich got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run single. Next up was Hannah Granger, who doubled the lead with her ninth home run of the year.
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Northwestern got one run back in the second inning, but Groenewegen made it 5-1 with an RBI double and Parlich made it 7-1 with the first home run of her career. The long ball made her the 14th different Gopher to homer this season.
After NU made it 7-2 in the third, the Gophers pulled away in the fourth by walking twice and getting bit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 10-2. NU eluded a run-rule loss by scoring once in the fifth and capped the scoring with two more runs in the seventh.
Minnesota outhit the Wildcats, 8-5.
The Gophers and Wildcats will continue their series Saturday with a 1 p.m. game and will wrap up the weekend Sunday at noon. Minnesota will then end a seven-game homestand Wednesday against South Dakota before traveling to Michigan State for a three-game series next weekend.
