University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Cal Poly
Resilient Gophers Stay Undefeated
2/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The No. 12/11 University of Minnesota Gophers came away with back-to-back gritty wins this afternoon moving to 13-0 on the season.
The Gophers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh capped off by a Dani Wagner walk-off single to win 5-4 over UC Davis in the first game of the day. They followed it up with an eight inning, 3-1, victory over Cal Poly. The Gophers have three walk-off wins and two extra inning victories already this year.
"Those are the games where you find out a lot about yourself," head coach Jessica Allister said. "Like I said to the team after, 'it's easy when it's easy, but when it gets hard is when you find out who you are as a team.' I was proud of us for stringing some hits together at the end there."
First Game: Minnesota 5, UC Davis 4
The Gophers topped UC Davis 10-1 in five innings yesterday and started today's game in similar fashion. Kendyl Lindaman hit a moon ball back toward the wall in center for a triple in the second. She was brought home by a MaKenna Partain RBI groundout.
Later Dani Wagner also hit a triple to center field scoring Sara Groenewegen.
After a quick third inning UC Davis got on the board in the fourth. They used a leadoff double followed by a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single up the middle to pull within one.
After keeping Minnesota off the board in the bottom of the inning, UC Davis used a big fifth inning to take the lead. They drilled four hits including back-to-back singles to start the frame and scored three runs to go up on the Maroon and Gold.
Amber Fiser pitched the first four innings before being replaced in the fifth. She had three strikeouts and allowed seven hits. Carlie Brandt pitched the final three innings and picked up the win in the circle. She is now 2-0 on the season. She had a big sixth inning forcing a three up, three down.
The Gophers threatened in the bottom of the sixth putting two runners on with only one out but the Aggies got out of the jam. Brandt and the Gophers field again shut down UC Davis in the top of the seventh to provide one more chance for the offense.
Danielle Parlich started the bottom of the seventh with a single just over the glove of the shortstop. She was brought home by a Maddie Houlihan RBI double to center. Later Lindaman was walked and Sydney Dwyer was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
Groenewegen recorded the game tying RBI reaching on a fielder's choice as Lindaman slid under a tag at third to keep the bases loaded with one out. Wagner stepped into the box and came through in the clutch yet again.
Wagner drove a ball to center field for her third hit of the game and second walk-off single of the season. She is now hitting .351 on the season and is second on the team with 12 RBIs.
Second Game: Minnesota 3, Cal Poly 1 (eight innings)
Groenewegen threw another gem in an absolute pitcher's duel. She went all eight innings and only allowed two hits, no earned runs and struck out five batters. She moves to 7-0 on the season with a 0.66 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
Lindaman helped put the Gophers on the board first. She led off the second inning with a home run to center and now has a team leading four homers this season.
Cal Poly put their leadoff batter on in the bottom of the inning and moved her over on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. She would score on an error by Minnesota tying the game up 1-1. Neither team would budge for the next five innings.
Groenewegen and the Gophers defense did not allow a hit after the third inning. The Minnesota offense was cold until they threatened in the seventh.
Lindaman got a hold of a ball but was robbed by a diving Cal Poly shortstop. Partain singled right after and was moved to second on a Groenewegen single. Wagner nearly added another heroic moment with a deep fly ball to left field but the outfielder made the catch near the warning track to end the frame.
The Bulldog Classic is using the international tiebreaker rule so Wagner was placed on second to start the eighth. Allie Arneson placed a sacrifice bunt down perfectly advancing Wagner to third.
With one out on the board Parlich stepped up and went down 0-2 in the count. She stayed calm and drilled an RBI single to left field to break the tie. Houlihan brought in an insurance run for the Gophers with a double to center.
Cal Poly also used a sacrifice bunt to move their runner to third but Groenewegen forced back-to-back groundouts to end the game and seal the victory.
The Maroon and Gold finish out their third weekend of play tomorrow against Idaho State at 11 a.m.
"It is amazing how quickly the season flies by," Allister said. "Idaho State is having a good weekend so far and they are going to be ready tomorrow. We need to make sure that we show up ready."
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