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Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Gophers Outslug Jackrabbits to Conclude Fall Season
10/6/2019 5:51:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Golden Gopher baseball program concluded its fall exhibition season Sunday afternoon with an 11-10 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Minnesota scored nine runs in the final three innings of the game to come back and seal the victory.
Entering the tenth and final inning, the Gophers trailed SDSU, 10-8. In the bottom of tenth, freshman infielder Kyle Bork launched a two-run homer to deep center to knot the game at 10 runs apiece. With one out and runners on first and second, Andrew Wilhite singled to left, plating Ronald Sweeny to win the game.
In addition to his game-winning single, Wilhite finished four-for-six at the plate with four RBI, including a three-run home run in the ninth.
SDSU led for most of the game after shortstop Gus Steiger gave the Jackrabbits an early 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first inning. The Jackrabbits tacked on another run in the second before Minnesota answered back in innings three and four, scoring one run in each frame to tie up the game.
The action remained quiet thereafter until the top of the seventh, when SDSU regained the lead with four runs. Once again, Steiger found himself in the middle of the action, driving in two in the inning with a two-out double.
When the bottom of the eighth came around, the Gopher offense finally began to click. Minnesota scored two runs in the eighth, including an RBI triple from catcher Riley Swenson. The Gophers then tallied four more runs in the ninth before ultimately coming through to win the game in the tenth.
Also for the Gophers, senior Jordan Kozicky collected four hits. J.P. Massey was credited with the win after pitching the tenth inning for the Maroon and Gold.
Altogether, ten different pitchers took the mound for the Gophers throughout the game. Will Anderson, Michael Gurka, Danny Kapala, Joshua Culliver and Patrick Fredrickson all completed scoreless frames for the U.
With the conclusion of Sunday's game, Minnesota Baseball's fall season is officially in the books. The Gophers will return to the diamond when the regular season kicks off in February, with the program's 2020 schedule on track to be released near the end of October.
Entering the tenth and final inning, the Gophers trailed SDSU, 10-8. In the bottom of tenth, freshman infielder Kyle Bork launched a two-run homer to deep center to knot the game at 10 runs apiece. With one out and runners on first and second, Andrew Wilhite singled to left, plating Ronald Sweeny to win the game.
In addition to his game-winning single, Wilhite finished four-for-six at the plate with four RBI, including a three-run home run in the ninth.
SDSU led for most of the game after shortstop Gus Steiger gave the Jackrabbits an early 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first inning. The Jackrabbits tacked on another run in the second before Minnesota answered back in innings three and four, scoring one run in each frame to tie up the game.
The action remained quiet thereafter until the top of the seventh, when SDSU regained the lead with four runs. Once again, Steiger found himself in the middle of the action, driving in two in the inning with a two-out double.
When the bottom of the eighth came around, the Gopher offense finally began to click. Minnesota scored two runs in the eighth, including an RBI triple from catcher Riley Swenson. The Gophers then tallied four more runs in the ninth before ultimately coming through to win the game in the tenth.
Also for the Gophers, senior Jordan Kozicky collected four hits. J.P. Massey was credited with the win after pitching the tenth inning for the Maroon and Gold.
Altogether, ten different pitchers took the mound for the Gophers throughout the game. Will Anderson, Michael Gurka, Danny Kapala, Joshua Culliver and Patrick Fredrickson all completed scoreless frames for the U.
With the conclusion of Sunday's game, Minnesota Baseball's fall season is officially in the books. The Gophers will return to the diamond when the regular season kicks off in February, with the program's 2020 schedule on track to be released near the end of October.
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