University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
39-16
Texas
33-24
Gophers Fall in NCAA Regional Opener to Texas, 2-1
5/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota softball found themselves on the opposite side of a pitcher's duel before falling to Texas in the opening round of the NCAA Seattle Regional, 2-1. Freshman Elllee Jensen led the way at the plate going 2-or-3 by legging out two infield singles.
"It's a game of execution," said head coach Jamie Trachsel. "It's a tough region and we know that every game is going to be close and there was a couple plays that made the difference between a win and loss. We reattack what's in front of us tomorrow and we will be ready to go."
Starter Amber Fiser worked out of a pair of jams denying Texas a chance to score early runs. In the first, Fiser forced Texas to strand runners in scoring position following a two-out double by the Longhorn's cleanup hitter. In the second, a leadoff double did not trouble the defense as Texas attempted a squeeze play at the plate but were denied a run as Fiser made the perfect toss to Lindaman at the plate.
Texas broke the scoreless pitcher's duel in the fourth. A leadoff double came around to score three batters later on a single that just dropped in over the Gophers infield that had been pulled in for a possible play at the plate.
Sydney Smith came out of the pen to replace Fiser in the top of the fifth, holding the Longhorns to no runs in her opening frame.
Minnesota was not trailing for long as the Gophers put up a run in the fifth to tie the game up at 1-1. A walk by Allie Arneson, sacrifice bunt by Carlie Brandt and an infield single by Jensen set up MaKenna Partain to break the tie. Sending a two-hop chopper to second, Partain's groundout gave pinch-runner Katelyn Kemmetmueller plenty of time to cross the plate.
The Longhorns responded right back in the visiting half of the sixth to break the tie. A leadoff single moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Breaking the 1-1 tie on the next pitch, a single that fell into shallow right scored the go-ahead run before the batter-runner was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double.
Texas starter Paige von Sprecken kept the Gophers' bats quiet in the final two frames to knock Minnesota into the loser's bracket.
Smith suffered the loss moving to 6-5 on the year after throwing 3 innings of relief allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.
Up next
Minnesota drops down to the loser's bracket where they will play an elimination game against the loser of No. 5 Washington and Boise State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 19. If the Gophers win the elimination game they will play immediately after against the loser of winner's bracket game tomorrow.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: von Sprecken, Paige (12-11)
L: Smith, Sydney (6-5)
Batting:
2B: Ellsworth, Taylor 2 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1
RBI: Tedder, MK 1 ; Slack, Kaitlyn 1
SH: Schattle, Malory 1 ; Tedder, MK 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Ellsworth, Taylor 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1
SB: Washington, Kaitlyn 1
Batting:
2B: Lindaman, Kendyl 1
RBI: Partain, MaKenna 1
SH: Brandt, Carlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1
