University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Houston
Gophers Close Out Weekend 5-0
2/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The No. 21/22 University of Minnesota Gophers closed out the weekend going 5-0 at the Diamond Devils Tournament with a 6-1 victory over Houston.
Sam Macken and Danielle Parlich each recorded three hits in the game while Maddie Houlihan smacked her third home run of the weekend and fourth of the season.
Macken led off the game with a double left center down 0-2 in the count. She has 11 doubles this season after hitting five of them this weekend. Macken was brought home in the form of a Danielle Parlich RBI-single. Parlich hit .556 with ten hits and four RBI this weekend.
Neither team's offense could make much separation the next couple innings. Sara Groenewegen pitched another gem on the mound for Minnesota striking out 12 Houston batters while only giving up three hits. She went six innings moving her record to 7-2 on the season with an ERA of 1.93 overall.
The Maroon and Gold used a big fifth inning to take control of the game. Sydney Fabian singled to the shortstop and Sara Groenewegen was walked with Dani Wagner coming in to pinch run. Fabian and Wagner moved bases on a Paige Palkovich sacrifice bunt.
Maddie Houlihan came up to bat next and connected for a big home run over the center field wall. The very next at bat, Sydney Dwyer smacked a home run to center as well for her second of the season putting the Gophers up 5-1.
Houston put their first run on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Minnesota added one more in the sixth inning. Kayla Wenner led off with a double advancing to third on an error from the Houston shortstop. She was brought home as Parlich finished off her great weekend with another RBI-single.
Nikki Anderson came into the seventh inning and struck out three batters to cap off the impressive weekend for Minnesota.
The Gophers improve to 10-4 this season and head to Athens, Ga. next weekend taking on Western Carolina, Jacksonville and Georgia twice.
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