University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
UC Irvine
Gophers Split In Irvine
2/19/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Irvine, Cal. - The University of Minnesota split their two-game series versus UC Irvine after falling 7-5 Sunday afternoon.
Minnesota opened up their scoring in the third inning when Cole McDevitt scored on a triple by Alex Boxwell. Shortly after Luke Pettersen continued his hitting hot streak when he singled to left field, scoring Boxwell.
The lead for the Maroon and Gold was short lived because the Anteaters scored six runs in the bottom of the third inning. After the fourth inning the Gophers found themselves trailing 7-2. They got one run back in the sixth inning when Micah Coffey tripled to right field then scored on a Toby Hanson single.
Jordan Smith singled to lead off the eighth inning. Then in his first collegiate at-bat, Eli Wilson walked which advanced Smith to second base. Both runners moved up a base when the UC Irvine catcher allowed a pass ball.
Following the pass ball, Ben Mezzenga walked to fill the bass for Boxwell who would hit into a fielder's choice scoring Smith. With runners on first and second, Pettersen collected his eighth hit of the weekend that scored Mezzenga making the score 7-5.
The top of the ninth inning began with a Coffey double but he was stranded at second when the next three Gophers were sent down in order to finish the game.
Senior Toby Anderson picked up the loss after he went 2.0 innings allowing six hits, six earned runs and strike out one batter. Freshman Brett Schulze would take over on the mound for his collegiate debut and throw 4.0 innings. He would allow one earned run, strike out three batters, walk three and allow three hits.
Following Schulze was Reggie Meyer who faced two batters, walking one and striking out the other. Nick Lackney closed out the final 1.2 innings for Minnesota, walking one batter, striking out another and not allowing a hit or an earned run.
The Gophers return home Friday for a three game series against Seattle University. The Seattle series will begin a 13-game homestand at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Game Notes
- Two freshmen made their collegiate debuts Sunday, Schulze and Wilson.
- Pettersen is 8-9 at the plate to begin the season.
- Coffey was 3-5 and scored one run.
- Both Coffey and Boxwell had triples.
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