University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
21-9, 0
Maryland
16-14, 0
Offense Explodes in 19-5 Victory Over Maryland
3/23/2019 5:06:00 PM | Softball
"It was a complete game. I like how we put pressure on them every single inning," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "It was a good execution day."
Today's 19 runs ties a program record for most in a Big Ten game. Minnesota also scored 19 against Penn State on May 5, 2018. The school record for most in any single game is 20, which the Gophers have done twice. MaKenna Partain set a new program record and tied a Big Ten record for most runs scored in a single game with five.
"We had a lot of quality at-bats. It was probably our best day," Trachsel said. "Our top four hitters were 20 for 20 in quality at-bats. We went 28 for 30 with our top-six."
Minnesota recorded 15 hits and 14 walks in the game. Partain, Hope Brandner and Allie Arneson all walked three times. Five Gophers had a multi-hit game.
The Maroon and Gold started the game by loading the bases with no outs in the first. Natalie DenHartog stepped up in the cleanup spot and launched a grand slam. The Hopkins, Minn. native now has 10 home runs on the season and gave the Gophers their second grand slam of the weekend.
Maryland got on the board with a run in the bottom of the first but the Gophers quickly answered with a Brandner RBI-single through the left side.
The Gophers batted through the lineup again in the third inning. Josey White scored on an error as Ali Lindner reached on a bunt single. Partain drove in a pair with double down the left field shortly after. A five-run frame was capped off with an Arneson RBI-walk and a Katelyn Kemmetmueller sacrifice fly.
Maryland smacked a home run in the bottom of the third to pull within seven but the Gophers offense was too much with six runs in the fourth inning. Houlihan brought in a run while DenHartog and Kemmetmueller each drove in two on doubles and Anne Miller finished off with a sacrifice fly to center.
DenHartog set a new career high with six RBIs and was one shy of tying the school record for most in a single game.
Brandner finished off the scoring with a fifth inning home run to score three. She now has seven long balls on the season.
Partain went 2-2 with two RBIs, three walks and scored a school record five runs. Houlihan went 2-4 with three runs, Brandner went 2-2 with three walks and four RBIs, Miller went 2-3 with an RBI and DenHartog went 3-4 with six RBIs.
Sydney Smith got the start in the circle and went 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and only allowed two earned runs. She moves to 7-3 on the season.
The Gophers conclude spring break and the Maryland series at 12 p.m. CT tomorrow. No stream will be available.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Smith, Sydney (7-3)
L: Victoria Galvan (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1
HR: Brandner, Hope 1 ; DenHartog, Natalie 1
RBI: Partain, MaKenna 2 ; Houlihan, Maddie 1 ; Brandner, Hope 4 ; DenHartog, Natalie 6 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 3 ; Miller, Anne 1
SF: Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1 ; Miller, Anne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Partain, MaKenna 5 ; Houlihan, Maddie 3 ; Brandner, Hope 3 ; DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; White, Josey 1 ; Miller, Anne 1 ; Brandt, Carlie 1 ; Lindner, Ali 2
SB: Partain, MaKenna 1
Batting:
2B: Anna Kufta 1 ; Bailey Boyd 1
HR: Anna Kufta 1
RBI: Anna Kufta 2 ; Bailey Boyd 2
Base Running:
RUNS: JoJo McRae 1 ; Amanda Brashear 1 ; Anna Kufta 2 ; Gracie Voulgaris 1
SB: JoJo McRae 1
