University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 15
Tampa, FL
10:30 AM
University of Minnesota
16-7
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2
Butler
8-13
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7
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Butler
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Minnesota
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Photo by: Mike Janes
Gophers Grind Out Pair of Wins
3/15/2019 4:15:00 PM | Softball
The No. 21/21 University of Minnesota Gophers grinded out a pair of wins over Butler and USF in the Florida heat this afternoon to start spring break.Â
The Gophers won 3-2 over Butler on a walk-off throwing error and followed with a 3-0 victory over USF behind Amber Fiser's two-hit shutout.Â
"Our entire focus was just one pitch at a time," Fiser said. "We got in late last night so to be able to turnaround today and get two wins was a great opportunity and a good start to the weekend."Â
Minnesota will play two more tomorrow afternoon. It's the same tournament but the location moves 45 minutes over to the Eddie C. Moore Complex, the same complex where the Gophers competed in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational earlier this season. First pitch against Wichita State is 3:15 p.m. CT followed by Florida Gulf Coast at 5:30 p.m. Neither game will be available for stream.Â
First Game: Minnesota 3, Butler 2
After not much excitement throughout most of the game, Minnesota won in dramatic fashion over Butler to start the day. The Gophers broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the sixth but Butler tied things up with a home run in the seventh.Â
Minnesota took home the win in walk-off fashion but not in a conventional way. Macy Gill took off from second and came all the way home on a throwing error from the Butler pitcher that sailed over first.Â
Sydney Smith got the start in the circle and went the distance. She took the win to improve to 6-2 on the season. She only allowed two runs and three hits and did not allow a run through six innings. She tied her career high with 11 strikeouts in the victory.Â
The Gophers best early scoring chance came in the third inning. Maddie Houlihan ripped a single up the middle and stole second. Hope Brandner drew a walk and they both moved over on a wild pitch but were left stranded.Â
Butler moved a runner around to third in the fourth inning but a Smith strikeout got the Maroon and Gold out of the jam. Smith has 22 combined strikeouts in her last two starts.Â
Katelyn Kemmetmueller battled to a walk in the sixth inning and moved to second as Allie Arneson bunted for a single. Anne Miller broke the tie with a crack up the middle that brought Kemmetmueller home.Â
Kaylen Krueger and pinch hitter Josey White followed with back-to-back walks to tack on one more run. Butler led off the seventh inning with a single and a home run to tie the game up. Smith settled back to retire the next three batters on a fly out and a pair of strikeouts.Â
Brandner came up with a high hit infield single as Butler had a miscommunication and never got a fielder under it right in front of home plate. Gill came in as a pinch runner and moved to second on a passed ball. Natalie DenHartog stepped up to the plate next and hit one right back to the pitcher who booted the ball and allowed the Gophers to walk-off with the win.Â
Second Game: Minnesota 3, USF 0Â
The Gophers took less time to get on board in game two with a game defining second inning. DenHartog opened things up with a single to left field. Kemmetmueller laid a sacrifice bunt right after and DenHartog flashed her speed moving all the way over to third. Arneson punched DenHartog home with a single to left.Â
Miller and Ali Lindner each hit singles of their own later in the frame. With two outs on the board, MaKenna Partain reached first on a fielder's choice and Lindner safely advanced to second on an error by the USF shortstop. Arneson found home on Partain fielder's choice but Miller was thrown out trying to score to end the frame with the Gophers up 2-0.Â
Fiser was her usual steady self throughout the game. She controlled the game from the circle with six strikeouts while only allowing two hits and no runs. The Gophers provided her with an insurance run for good measure in the top of the seventh.Â
Kaylen Krueger started the seventh with a bunt single. Lindner moved her over on a sacrifice bunt and Partain notched an RBI-double to right center to bring her home.Â
Fiser improves to 9-5 on the season with the victory. She has an ERA of 1.39 with 111 strikeouts.Â
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The Gophers won 3-2 over Butler on a walk-off throwing error and followed with a 3-0 victory over USF behind Amber Fiser's two-hit shutout.Â
"Our entire focus was just one pitch at a time," Fiser said. "We got in late last night so to be able to turnaround today and get two wins was a great opportunity and a good start to the weekend."Â
Minnesota will play two more tomorrow afternoon. It's the same tournament but the location moves 45 minutes over to the Eddie C. Moore Complex, the same complex where the Gophers competed in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational earlier this season. First pitch against Wichita State is 3:15 p.m. CT followed by Florida Gulf Coast at 5:30 p.m. Neither game will be available for stream.Â
First Game: Minnesota 3, Butler 2
After not much excitement throughout most of the game, Minnesota won in dramatic fashion over Butler to start the day. The Gophers broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the sixth but Butler tied things up with a home run in the seventh.Â
Minnesota took home the win in walk-off fashion but not in a conventional way. Macy Gill took off from second and came all the way home on a throwing error from the Butler pitcher that sailed over first.Â
Sydney Smith got the start in the circle and went the distance. She took the win to improve to 6-2 on the season. She only allowed two runs and three hits and did not allow a run through six innings. She tied her career high with 11 strikeouts in the victory.Â
The Gophers best early scoring chance came in the third inning. Maddie Houlihan ripped a single up the middle and stole second. Hope Brandner drew a walk and they both moved over on a wild pitch but were left stranded.Â
Butler moved a runner around to third in the fourth inning but a Smith strikeout got the Maroon and Gold out of the jam. Smith has 22 combined strikeouts in her last two starts.Â
Katelyn Kemmetmueller battled to a walk in the sixth inning and moved to second as Allie Arneson bunted for a single. Anne Miller broke the tie with a crack up the middle that brought Kemmetmueller home.Â
Kaylen Krueger and pinch hitter Josey White followed with back-to-back walks to tack on one more run. Butler led off the seventh inning with a single and a home run to tie the game up. Smith settled back to retire the next three batters on a fly out and a pair of strikeouts.Â
Brandner came up with a high hit infield single as Butler had a miscommunication and never got a fielder under it right in front of home plate. Gill came in as a pinch runner and moved to second on a passed ball. Natalie DenHartog stepped up to the plate next and hit one right back to the pitcher who booted the ball and allowed the Gophers to walk-off with the win.Â
Second Game: Minnesota 3, USF 0Â
The Gophers took less time to get on board in game two with a game defining second inning. DenHartog opened things up with a single to left field. Kemmetmueller laid a sacrifice bunt right after and DenHartog flashed her speed moving all the way over to third. Arneson punched DenHartog home with a single to left.Â
Miller and Ali Lindner each hit singles of their own later in the frame. With two outs on the board, MaKenna Partain reached first on a fielder's choice and Lindner safely advanced to second on an error by the USF shortstop. Arneson found home on Partain fielder's choice but Miller was thrown out trying to score to end the frame with the Gophers up 2-0.Â
Fiser was her usual steady self throughout the game. She controlled the game from the circle with six strikeouts while only allowing two hits and no runs. The Gophers provided her with an insurance run for good measure in the top of the seventh.Â
Kaylen Krueger started the seventh with a bunt single. Lindner moved her over on a sacrifice bunt and Partain notched an RBI-double to right center to bring her home.Â
Fiser improves to 9-5 on the season with the victory. She has an ERA of 1.39 with 111 strikeouts.Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Smith, Sydney (6-2)
L: GRAVES, Alyssa (3-5)
Batting:
HR: ANDERSEN, Sammy 1
RBI: ANDERSEN, Sammy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: FEY, Lauren 1 ; ANDERSEN, Sammy 1
SB: FOREMAN, Jenna 1
Batting:
RBI: Miller, Anne 1 ; White, Josey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gill, Macy 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1
SB: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; Houlihan, Maddie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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