University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
17-12, 0-1
Northwestern
18-8, 1-0
Gophers Fall in B1G Opener, 3-2
3/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. - A three-run seventh inning was the difference in Friday's Big Ten opener against Northwestern as the Gophers fell 3-2. Despite a strong outing from Amber Fiser through six innings, Minnesota (17-12) could not hold off the late-inning rally Northwestern (18-8) strung together.
Sophomore MaKenna Partain drove in the game's first two runs with a two-out double that carried off the top of the left field fence. Scoring on the play was Allie Arneson, after doubling on a liner to left, and Dani Wagner who reached earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice.
Leading 2-0, the Gophers worked out of a jam in the third that started with a pair of Northwestern runners in scoring position and one out. Making full use of her change up, Fiser struck out a Wildcat for the second out before loading the bases on a walk. Showing poise, Fiser produced a ground ball right back to her for the final out of the inning.
In the sixth, the dreaded leadoff walk brought out the best in the Minnesota defense as a ground ball to Danielle Parlich started the 5-4-3 double play. Fiser faced the minimum amount of hitters in the inning with a strikeout a batter later.
Minnesota saw one base runner in the final three innings of play as it came down to Northwestern's final three outs.
The sleeping giant in the Wildcat's bats woke up in the final frame. Back-to-back singles, a sacrifice bunt and a walk loaded the bases early for Northwestern. Turning the line up over, the Wildcats changed the momentum of the game with an infield single that tipped off the Parlich's glove at third and over to short scoring a run. Arneson with the ball in her glove threw to home on the same play to try and retire the runner, but an overthrow over the head of catcher Kendyl Lindaman allowed the tying run to score. With the winning run 60 feet away, a single through the left side gave Northwestern exactly what the needed to complete the comeback.
Handed her seventh loss of the season, Fiser threw 6.1 innings of work allowing two earned runs.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morgan Newport (8-2)
L: Fiser, Amber (11-7)
Batting:
2B: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1
RBI: Partain, MaKenna 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Arneson, Allie 1 ; Wagner, Dani 1
SB: Houlihan, Maddie 1 ; Jensen, Ellee 1
Batting:
RBI: Sabrina Rabin 1 ; Marissa Panko 1
SH: Morgan Newport 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Abbey Boyd 1 ; Emma Bartz 1 ; Mac Dunlap 1
SB: Marissa Panko 1
CS: Sabrina Rabin 1
