University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Tulsa
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Gophers Defeated by Tulsa, Top Kansas
3/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Paige Palkovich had two hits in each of the No. 22 University of Minnesota Gophers games today as they lost to Tulsa 10-1 and topped Kansas 4-2 at the Rock Chalk Challenge.
After yesterday's games were cancelled due to weather, the Gophers have just one game left in Kansas for the end of their spring break trip. They will play UMKC tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m. The weather impacted the start of today's games as well pushing them back. It was 37 degrees with strong winds when the Gophers first game started.
First Game: Tulsa 10, Minnesota 1 (Five Innings)
Tulsa jumped out to a 5-0 lead right away the top of the first inning and the Gophers were never able to recover.
The Golden Hurricane poured on five more runs the top of the third inning to go up 10-0 over Minnesota. Sydney Fabian gave her best effort to start a spark smacking a home run over the right field wall to lead off the third inning.
Fabian came back with two big defensive plays the top of the fourth laying out and bringing in a diving catch followed by snagging a line drive.
The Gophers finished the game with four hits in the form of the Fabian home run, two Palkovich singles and a Danielle Parlich single.
Kylie Stober took the loss in the circle falling to 2-3 on the season. Nikki Anderson pitched the last three innings scattering six hits.
Second Game: Minnesota 4, Kansas 2
Both teams scored early on with the final four innings going scoreless. Both teams had eight hits but the Gophers used four of those to put up three runs in the third inning making the difference in the game.
Palkovich laid down a bunt single to get things started in the top of the second and stole second the very next pitch. Fabian brought her home with a single up the middle.
The Maroon and Gold expanded their lead to 4-0 with the strong third inning. LeMay got it rolling as the leadoff batter launching her second home run of the season. Maddie Houlihan followed with a shot to right field for a single and later stole second.
Palkovich kept her impactful day going with a single to bring in Houlihan and was able to score from first after a Sydney Dwyer double to right center.
Kansas looked to get back in with a two run inning the bottom of the third. They had a chance to score more with the bases loaded and just one out when Parlich scooped up a grounder, tagged the runner going to second and tossed to first for the double play.
The Gophers defense behind Sara Groenewegen in the circle shut down the Jayhawks the rest of the game. Groenewegen struck out the side in the fourth. She finished with eight strikeouts in the game and now has 140 this season.
Palkovich made a big play in the fifth when she fielded a double and threw to third where Sam Macken laid a tag to get the runner out. In the sixth inning the Gophers made their second double play of the game when Macken caught a line drive at third and fired over to first for two outs.
Groenewegen moves to 13-4 on the season and has now thrown 12 complete games.
