University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
No. 8/8 Washington
Gophers Beat South Dakota, Fall To Washington
3/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The No. 7/7 University of Minnesota Gophers made quick work of South Dakota winning 8-0 in five innings before falling 9-0 in five innings to No. 8/8 Washington.
The Gophers are now 21-2 on the season. They continue their spring break trip with a game at Oregon State tomorrow at 3 p.m.
First Game: Minnesota 8, South Dakota 0 (5)
Carlie Brandt got her first ever collegiate start and only allowed one hit in five innings as the Gophers played their quickest game of the season. They won in just one hour and 12 minutes. Brandt is 5-0 on the season after the victory.
Sydney Dwyer and Sara Groenewegen each hit homers in the victory and Kendyl Lindaman notched two RBIs.
Minnesota jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with a big first inning. Sam Macken singled on the first pitch and made it to second on an error the next play as Danielle Parlich reached on a fielder's choice. Lindaman brought them both home with a single down the left field line.
MaKenna Partain kept her hot streak going with a single right after. Dwyer capped off the big inning with a three run home run over the left center wall. She has four homers and 30 RBIs this season.
Groenewegen hit her first home run of the season with a solo shot in the third. Parlich knocked in the last Gophers run with an RBI single to right.
Brandt worked quick all day only allowing a hit in the first inning while striking out three batters and walking none. The Gophers had 10 hits in the game with Macken notching two singles.
The Gophers now have five run-rule victories this season.
Second Game: Washington 9, Minnesota 0 (5)
The No. 8/8 Huskies topped the Gophers for the second time on the weekend. Tori Finucane took the loss in the circle. It was her first of the season as she moves to 3-1 on the year.
Washington used home runs in the first and second innings to jump out to an early 5-0 lead.
Macken drilled a single to start the fourth inning for the Gophers first hit but Washington did not allow any more damage and came back with four runs in the bottom of the frame.
Partain and Dani Wagner each singled in the fifth inning but the Maroon and Gold were unable to push any runs across to keep the game going.
The game was the first time the high powered Gophers were kept off the board this season. They are hitting .343 as a team this season and have six batters hitting .360 or higher including Dwyer's .412 and Partain's .471. They have outscored opponents 145-49 through the first 23 games of the season.
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