University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
13-8
TCU
10-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 1 |
| TCU | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
Gophers Claim Series Victory Over No. 9 TCU
3/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
FORT WORTH, Texas - Minnesota split a pair of results on Sunday against Baseball America's No. 9-ranked team in the nation, TCU, claiming the series two games to one on the Horned Frogs' home field at Lupton Stadium.
The teams resumed their Saturday night game with No. 9 TCU (10-7) surviving 5-4 in 13 innings, entering the day with a 4-0 lead before the Gophers came back to force extras, while Minnesota (14-8) dominated the series finale, winning 8-0.
TCU 5, Gophers 4 (13 innings) - Box Score
The Gophers trailed 4-0 as game two of the series resumed with Riley Smith on first base after a walk with two away in the third inning. Terrin Vavra singled to left to start the day, but TCU escaped the inning without any damage. Vavra continued to swing a hot bat in his next at-bat as he came to the plate with two in scoring position in the top of the fifth, singling home Eli Wilson and Luke Pettersen to cut the lead in half.
Sam Thoresen came on in relief of Nick Lackney, who pitched the first two innings on Saturday night before rain suspended the action for the night, working 3.0 innings and striking out two while allowing just one hit.
Haunted by its own miscues in the first two innings, Minnesota made the Horned Frogs pay for one in the top of the sixth as Jordan Kozicky reached on a muffed grounder to short and eventually came around to score on a single by Pettersen, cutting the lead to 4-3. The Gophers threatened for more in the top of the seventh, but a spectacular diving catch by TCU center fielder AJ Balta for the third out robbed Alex Boxwell of extra bases with Toby Hanson and Micah Coffey on base.
Bubba Horton continued the impressive relief work for Minnesota as he relieved Thoresen for the next 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit himself while striking out four. The Gophers came back to tie it for the southpaw in the top of the eighth as Jack Wassel hit a pinch-hit single to start the inning, eventually coming around to score on Vavra's third hit of the game.
Jackson Rose took over on the mound in the ninth, getting three outs in the air to send the game to extras. He gave Minnesota 2.0 scoreless innings before handing the ball to Max Meyer (0-1), who worked 2.0 scoreless innings before running into trouble in the 13th inning. After back-to-back walks, Meyer handed the ball to Patrick Fredrickson with two on and one away. He got a strikeout, but a single by catcher Zach Humphreys just above the reach of a leaping Pettersen brought home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.
The Gophers totaled 15 hits in the game, which ended nearly 22 hours after its original start time of 5 p.m. Saturday, four by Vavra and three each by Pettersen and Wassel.
Gophers 8, TCU 0 - Box Score
Fredrickson (2-0) returned to the mound for Minnesota in the second game of the day, picking up where he left off as he scattered four hits in 5.0 shutout innings, striking out seven on the day. The Gophers finally broke through with some offense for him in the fourth as Vavra led off the inning with an infield hit, moving around the bases on a ground out and wild pitch before coming in to score on a base knock by McDevitt.
The Maroon & Gold continued to add to their lead in the fifth, opening the inning with base hits by Ben Mezzenga and Pettersen, each scoring when pitcher Sean Wymer (0-1) tried to get the lead runner on a sacrifice attempt by Jack Wassel and threw the ball down the left field line. The Gophers chased Wymer in the sixth, taking advantage of another Horned Frog error to score three runs in the inning.
Brett Schulze relieved Fredrickson in the sixth, working 3.0 shutout innings, striking out three while allowing just one hit.
Vavra continued to punish TCU pitching in the ninth inning as he tagged a ball over the right field wall for his second home run of the season. Four walks helped the Gophers bring home another run in the inning as Ben Mezzenga's bases loaded free pass scored Cole McDevitt. Jeff Fasching tossed a scoreless ninth inning to end the shutout victory for the Maroon & Gold.
NOTABLE
Terrin Vavra's four-hit game was the first for the Gophers since Cole McDevitt's four-hit effort vs. Chicago State back on Feb. 24 … Minnesota claims a series against a ranked foe for the first time in the last two seasons, dating back to a doubleheader sweep (8-1, 5-3) over No. 25 Michigan back on April 8, 2016.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will open Big Ten play next weekend as the team travels to Lincoln to take on defending league regular seasons champion Nebraska. The series opens Friday, March 23 with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morris, Trey (1-0)
L: Meyer, Max (0-1)
Batting:
2B: McDevitt, Cole 1
RBI: Pettersen, Luke 1 ; Vavra, Terrin 3
SH: Pettersen, Luke 1 ; Smith, Riley 1 ; Vavra, Terrin 1 ; McDevitt, Cole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pettersen, Luke 1 ; Kozicky, Jordan 1 ; Wilson, Eli 1 ; Wassel, Jack 1
CS: Wassel, Jack 1
HBP: Coffey, Micah 1 ; Wilson, Eli 1
Batting:
3B: Boulware, Coby 1
RBI: Humphreys, Zach 1 ; Watson, Josh 2 ; Balta, A.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wanhanen, Connor 1 ; Humphreys, Zach 1 ; Watson, Josh 1 ; Hanoian, Tristan 1 ; Boulware, Coby 1
SB: Watson, Josh 1 ; Boulware, Coby 1
