University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Ohio State
Gophers Win Second Straight B1G Tournament Title
5/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
For the second straight season and third time in four years the University of Minnesota Gophers won the Big Ten Tournament championship with a 6-0 victory over Ohio State.
Sara Groenewegen pitched a complete game and only allowed two hits while firing in 12 strikeouts. She pitched 16 innings this weekend and only allowed two hits on her way to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year.
Great stuff here:@GopherSoftball and @LisaByington try to get Sara Groenewegen to sing.
"I'm not singing on TV!" https://t.co/oQQiMl6bH9-- Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 14, 2017
The first four innings of the game this evening was a complete pitcher's duel with a number of big time defensive plays. Senior Sam Macken has been making highlight reel catches in left field all season and came up with a number of clutch ones early tonight.
The Gophers were able to break the tie in the form of another Sydney Dwyer heroic moment. Her walk-off home run earlier in the day sent the Gophers to the championship but she was just getting started. Dwyer stepped up with two outs in the fifth and launched a no-doubter over the wall to break the tie and give the Gophers all the momentum they would need.WATCH: @smacken7 just wanted to keep us on our toes...
Mission accomplished. #BTNStandout #NCAATop10 https://t.co/rk0S9JwtEB-- Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 13, 2017
Groenewegen, Dani Wagner and Allie Arneson all reached base right after on a walk, hit by pitch and another walk. Macken stepped up next and battled to an RBI walk to make it a 3-0 game.WATCH: @syddwy's 3rd homer today breaks the tie! She is now the #Gophers single season RBI record holder with 76. 😲https://t.co/5wlF99E8uK
-- Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 14, 2017
Ohio State singled to start their frame in the bottom of the fifth. Prior to that Groenewegen had gone 14 straight innings without allowing a hit. Groenewegen came back forcing three quick outs including two more big strikeouts.
After a scoreless sixth, the Gophers added some insurance in the top of the seventh. Wagner and Arneson both drew walks and were knocked in with a Macken double down the left field line. MaKenna Partain knocked in the final run of the game with an RBI single to second base.
Two Groenewegen strikeouts sealed the victory. She now has 1,187 career strikeouts passing Sara Moulton as the all-time Gophers career strikeout record holder.
Groenewegen is 30-2 after tonight's victory with a 0.59 ERA and 280 strikeouts. The Gophers move to 54-3 overall on the season and have won 25 straight games. They earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with tonight's victory. They will find out who they will be playing during tomorrow's selection show at 9 p.m. on ESPN 2.B6: @saragroe strikes out the side and is now the #Gophers career strikeout record holder!! You never cease to amaze us, G! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/KrMj1sSlDa
-- Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 14, 2017
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