University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Nebraska
The Cardiac Gophers Win In Comeback Fashion
3/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Gophers Complete Sweep with 8-1 Win on Sunday
The gritty No. 8/8 University of Minnesota Gophers went into the seventh down by two to the Nebraska Cornhuskers but battled to a 5-4 comeback victory this afternoon.
The cardiac Gophers have won three games on walk-offs, two in extra innings and are 5-1 in games they were either tied or trailing after the sixth inning. Danielle Parlich had a big day going 2-3 with three RBIs and scored the game tying run.
"(Our thought) was just to compete and keep seeing the ball and put the ball in play. If we put the ball in play, like Coach Allister says, something is going to happen," Parlich said. "(Our mentality was) don't let the game take away your presence in the box. Just have fun and play like you know how. Up and down the lineup we knew we could rely on everyone, so we were just having fun and making sure our energy stayed high. It worked out well."
It was not always pretty for the Gophers who committed four errors in the game. Nebraska scored two runs right away in the first using two hits, an error and a wild pitch.
The Gophers scraped a run across in the third to pull within one. Dani Wagner dropped a sneaky bunt single on the first pitch of the frame. Allie Arneson followed by drawing a walk and they both moved over on a groundout. Parlich scored Wagner with a sacrifice fly to center.
The Cornhuskers loaded the bases with no outs in the third. Carlie Brandt came into pitch in the tough situation and worked the Gophers out of the jam with only two runs coming across. Neither run was earned as the field committed two errors in the frame.
Wagner again got on base to start the fifth and worked her way to third on back-to-back groundouts. Parlich brought her home with a rip right up the middle to pull the Gophers back within two.
Brandt shut down Nebraska in order in the bottom of the fifth. She was strong in relief going five innings with six scattered hits and did not allow a run. She was also effective using only 60 pitches.
The Gophers could not get anything going in the sixth but Brandt and the field forced another quick bottom of the inning to leave the game within reach going to the seventh.
With one out on the board Arneson went down 0-2 in the count but battled and put a single through the pitcher's legs and up the middle. Arneson moved to second on a groundout.
Parlich stepped up next and came up with another big hit placing a double down the left field line to score Arneson. Parlich has seven RBIs on the weekend so far.
Maddie Houlihan came to the plate next and went down 0-2 in the count. With the Gophers down to their final strike she battled back to draw a walk. A pair of freshmen put the game away.
Kendyl Lindaman knocked in the game tying run right after with a chopper up the middle to score Parlich. MaKenna Partain followed with a single through the right side to score Houlihan for the go-ahead run.
Brandt forced three quick groundouts to seal the victory in the bottom of the seventh. She moves to 6-0 on the season with a 0.75 ERA. Finucane started the game and recorded three strikeouts. She only allowed four hits and two earned runs.
Today's win ensures the Gophers will win the weekend series over Nebraska after yesterday's 16-0 victory. The teams will meet again tomorrow with first pitch set for 12 p.m.
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