University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Indiana
Gophers Hit Two Grand Slams In Series Sweep
4/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Tickets: Gophers Host Northwestern Next Weekend
The No. 7/7 University of Minnesota Gophers took two run-rule victories over the Indiana Hoosiers this afternoon in front of a sellout crowd. They have now won all three conference series played and have two B1G sweeps. They are 35-3 and 8-1 in the Big Ten.
The Gophers hit a grand slam in each win today. Allie Arneson launched one in the first game of the day sparking the Maroon and Gold to a 10-2 victory. Sydney Dwyer set the tone in the second game of the afternoon with a grand slam in the first inning. The Gophers went on to win that game 8-0 over the Hoosiers.
Arneson has been hitting form as of late. She leads the Gophers in B1G play with a .474 batting average. In five home games this week she hit .714 with a double, two home runs and a 1.714 slugging percentage.
"I am speechless. We have so much passion on this team," Arneson said. "Going on the field we just know that we are going to play for each other when looking left and right at one another. It is really special and our chemistry is amazing."
First Game: Minnesota 10, Indiana 2
The Gophers only used four hits to produce 10 runs in the first game of the day but were disciplined at the plate drawing nine walks.
Sam Macken and Danielle Parlich each drew a walk to start the game. Maddie Houlihan drove them in with a double to right center. Houlihan now has 12 doubles this year and as a team the Gophers already have hit 76 doubles. They came into the weekend having hit the second most in the entire NCAA. Later MaKenna Partain hit a deep sacrifice fly to score Houlihan.
After a quiet second inning the Hoosiers got on the board in the top of the third with a home run to pull within one. The Gophers quickly punched back moving all moment into their favor.
Parlich walked to start the bottom of the third. She stole second and reached third on a wild pitch before Partain drove her in with a single through the left side. Dani Wagner stepped up later with the bases loaded and drew an RBI walk. Arneson broke the game open right after.
With two outs on the board Arneson took a 1-1 pitch and launched it over the left center wall for a grand slam and her fourth home run this season. Macken stepped into the box right after and drove a home run to the same exact spot putting the Gophers up 10-2 after three.
Sara Groenewegen and the Gophers field would not let Indiana get back into the game. Partain capped off the win with a diving catch in foul territory for the final out. Groenewegen moves to 17-2 with a 0.70 ERA on the season after the complete game victory.
Second Game: Minnesota 8, Indiana 0
Amber Fiser was in full control in the second game of the day. She went the distance and only allowed two hits while the field was perfect behind her with no errors. Fiser is 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA this season.
Parlich went 3-3 in the victory. She is one of six Gophers hitting .362 or higher on the season. She got things rolling in the first inning with a double to left field just sliding underneath a tag at second. On the next play Houlihan reached on a fielder's choice and went all the way to second as Parlich put on some fancy footwork to get out of a pickle and stay safe at third.
With two outs on the board Partain drew a walk. Dwyer came up next and smashed a grand slam to right center. Dwyer now has seven home runs this season.
Arneson doubled in the second and scooted to third on an error. Macken brought her in with an RBI groundout.
Minnesota stayed hot in the third scoring three more runs. Dwyer notched another RBI with a double off the top of the wall in center. After her five-RBI game she has 53 this season. She came into the weekend sixth in the whole NCAA in RBIs. She is also leading the team with a .414 batting average.
Groenewegen and Wagner notched back-to-back RBIs with a double and a single respectively. Indiana threatened in the fourth but a couple of nice fielding plays from Partain and Dwyer got the Gophers out without allowing any damage. In the fifth Parlich cleanly fielded two grounders in a row for the last two outs.
The Gophers stay home for a B1G series against Northwestern next weekend. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m.
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