University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
South Dakota
Minnesota Tops South Dakota, 8-2
4/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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April 15, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 13/10 Minnesota softball team wrapped up a seven-game homestand Wednesday evening with an 8-2 victory against South Dakota at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers are now 34-7 on the year with a 25-4 non-conference mark and a 5-2 ledger at home.
South Dakota gained the early advantage by hitting solo home runs in the second and third innings.
The Gophers dug themselves of the hole in the bottom of the third when Sam Macken and Kaitlyn Richardson reached base and Sara Groenewegen hit a towering home run to center field to make it 3-2.
Groenewegen's home run was her ninth of the season and 20th of her career, putting at her at No. 7 on the program's all-time list.
After Kylie Stober got out of a jam in the fourth, Taylor LeMay padded Minnesota's lead with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the frame. A Tyler Walker RBI single before the end of the stanza made it a 5-2 game.
Minnesota pulled away in the sixth when Richardson scored Macken from first with a wall-ball double. Hannah Granger completed the scoring with a two-run double to left field.
Stober pitched four innings and collected three strikeouts to up her record to 8-1 in the circle. Groenewegen earned her second save of the year by tossing two scoreless frames, following a shutout inning of relief from Nikki Anderson.
Entering the week with a 14-1 road record, the Gophers will travel to East Lansing, Mich. for a three-game series against Michigan State this weekend. Next week, they finish non-conference play with a home doubleheader against North Dakota State before hosting Iowa.
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