University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 16
Tampa, FL
3:15 PM
University of Minnesota
5
vs
0
Wichita State
Gophers Top Wichita State, Fall to FGCU
3/16/2019 9:36:00 PM | Softball
CLEARWATER, FLA. - The No. 21/21 University of Minnesota Gophers went 1-1 on the second day of the USF Tournament. They defeated Wichita State 5-3 and fell 4-1 to FGCU.
The Gophers are now 18-8 on the season. They will close out the weekend tomorrow afternoon with one game against USF at 3:15 p.m. CT. That game can be streamed here.
Game One: Minnesota 5, Wichita State 0
The Gophers wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. MaKenna Partain was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Hope Brandner and Maddie Houlihan came across on a wild pitch.
Amber Fiser went the distance in the circle and held the Shockers to scattered five hits. She struck out six batters while pitching her second straight shutout.
Natalie DenHartog blasted her eighth homer of the season to left field in the sixth inning, extending the Gophers lead to 3-0 on the solo shot.
Minnesota added an even bigger cushion in the top of the seventh inning. Kaylen Krueger led off with a double off the right field wall. Josey White followed with a pinch hit single but Kruger was thrown out at home.
Partain made it 5-0 with her second home run of the year right after. She leads the Gophers with a .376 batting average. She has eight doubles, three triples and two home runs with all eight doubles, one triple and both home runs coming in the last 16 games.
Fiser improves to 10-5 on the season after the victory. She has a 1.29 ERA with 117 strikeouts.
Game Two: FGCU 4, Minnesota 1
The Gophers had a tough time getting on base to the start of the second game and found themselves in a hole after a tough fourth inning.
FGCU loaded up the bases in the fourth and scored runs on an RBI-single followed by a bases clearing triple to right.
Minnesota looked to get something started when Anne Miller sent a single up the middle on a full count in the fifth. Macy Gill came in as a pinch runner and stole second with two outs on the board but was left stranded.
Sydney Smith got the start in the circle. She gave the Gophers chances to stay in the game with a strong fifth and sixth frame after the fourth inning hiccup. Taylor Chell came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth and nailed her first homer of the season, a solo shot to left field, to make it 4-1. It was only the third at bat of the season and first hit of the year for the senior who began the season injured.
FGCU threatened to add more runs in the top of the seventh by loading up the bases again. Smith worked a batter with her ninth strikeout of the game for out three to prevent any damage. She has 31 strikeouts in her past three starts.
With the Gophers down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh, Ali Lindner reached on a fielding error. Partain followed by beating out an infield hit to shortstop and Houlihan loaded the bases by reaching on a throwing error from shortstop. Despite making things interesting, all three batters were left stranded to end the game.
Smith falls to 6-3 after the seven inning loss. She went 125 pitches with nine strikeouts and gave up nine hits and four runs.
The Gophers are now 18-8 on the season. They will close out the weekend tomorrow afternoon with one game against USF at 3:15 p.m. CT. That game can be streamed here.
Game One: Minnesota 5, Wichita State 0
The Gophers wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. MaKenna Partain was brought home on a sacrifice fly from Hope Brandner and Maddie Houlihan came across on a wild pitch.
Amber Fiser went the distance in the circle and held the Shockers to scattered five hits. She struck out six batters while pitching her second straight shutout.
Natalie DenHartog blasted her eighth homer of the season to left field in the sixth inning, extending the Gophers lead to 3-0 on the solo shot.
Minnesota added an even bigger cushion in the top of the seventh inning. Kaylen Krueger led off with a double off the right field wall. Josey White followed with a pinch hit single but Kruger was thrown out at home.
Partain made it 5-0 with her second home run of the year right after. She leads the Gophers with a .376 batting average. She has eight doubles, three triples and two home runs with all eight doubles, one triple and both home runs coming in the last 16 games.
Fiser improves to 10-5 on the season after the victory. She has a 1.29 ERA with 117 strikeouts.
Game Two: FGCU 4, Minnesota 1
The Gophers had a tough time getting on base to the start of the second game and found themselves in a hole after a tough fourth inning.
FGCU loaded up the bases in the fourth and scored runs on an RBI-single followed by a bases clearing triple to right.
Minnesota looked to get something started when Anne Miller sent a single up the middle on a full count in the fifth. Macy Gill came in as a pinch runner and stole second with two outs on the board but was left stranded.
Sydney Smith got the start in the circle. She gave the Gophers chances to stay in the game with a strong fifth and sixth frame after the fourth inning hiccup. Taylor Chell came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth and nailed her first homer of the season, a solo shot to left field, to make it 4-1. It was only the third at bat of the season and first hit of the year for the senior who began the season injured.
FGCU threatened to add more runs in the top of the seventh by loading up the bases again. Smith worked a batter with her ninth strikeout of the game for out three to prevent any damage. She has 31 strikeouts in her past three starts.
With the Gophers down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh, Ali Lindner reached on a fielding error. Partain followed by beating out an infield hit to shortstop and Houlihan loaded the bases by reaching on a throwing error from shortstop. Despite making things interesting, all three batters were left stranded to end the game.
Smith falls to 6-3 after the seven inning loss. She went 125 pitches with nine strikeouts and gave up nine hits and four runs.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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