University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
UMKC
Gophers Beat UMKC 2-1
3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The No. 22 University of Minnesota Gophers close out spring break with a 2-1 win over UMKC.
The Gophers move to 19-9 on the season and finish their spring break trip 6-4. They will get into Big Ten play next weekend heading out to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on Purdue.
The Maroon and Gold scored a run in each of the first two innings and that was enough to hang onto the win.
In the Gophers first at bat of the game, Sam Macken took just the second pitch and sent it over the right field wall for her sixth home run of the season.
In the second inning Paige Palkovich was walked to lead things off and later stole second. Sydney Dwyer brought her in with a single through the left side and now has 17 RBI this season. Palkovich had two steals in the game and now has four this year.
UMKC scored one run in the third and threatened in the fifth inning but the Gophers field made a couple great plays to get out without any damage. With a runner on Taylor LeMay fired to Houlihan at first catching the player in a pickle. Houlihan threw over to Dwyer who layed down the tag for a big out.
After a triple with two outs Sara Groenewegen made a play on a ground ball and tagged the runner for the third out to get out of the fifth.
Groenewegen went the distance in the circle striking out 11 batters while scattering six hits. She improves to 14-4 on the seaon with an ERA of 2.11 and has thrown 13 complete games.
