University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, April 24
Madison, WI
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
33-10, 0
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Wisconsin
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Minnesota
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Wisconsin
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Gophers Take Care of Business Across the Border
4/24/2019 8:23:00 PM | Softball
A Natalie DenHartog grand slam put the cherry on top of a sweet day in Madison for the No. 16/11 Gophers as they picked up two big victories over the RV/25 University of Wisconsin Badgers.
The Gophers won 8-2 to start the day and followed it up with a 10-3 victory over the Badgers who came in with 33 wins on the season. Minnesota is now 34-10 overall and 15-1 in Big Ten play with only six conference games left on the schedule.
"We played well," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "We knew it would be tough. I'm proud of how our kids accepted the challenge. We found different ways to win both of the games."
Maddie Houlihan smacked a pair of home runs in the first game and Natalie DenHartog had another big day with six hits, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs in the two wins.
Amber Fiser picked up both wins in the circle. As game one was winding down she was named a top-26 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Game One: Minnesota 8, Wisconsin 2
DenHartog brought in the first run of the day when a single up the middle scored MaKenna Partain. The Badgers were able to tie things up in the bottom of the second inning but it would be all Gophers the rest of the way.
Houlihan launched a rocket of a liner over the wall in left center to make it 3-1 in the thir as Partain also came home. Two batters later DenHartog smashed her first home run of the day to make it 4-1 Minnesota.
A big fifth inning halted any chance at a Wisconsin comeback. Houlihan got it started with her second home run of the day. She now has five on the season. Allie Arneson would later bring in another pair of runs with a double down the left field line and Taylor Chell ripped a pinch hit single through the left side for the final Gophers run of the game.
Wisconsin plated a run in the seventh inning but the Gophers lead was never in question. Amber Fiser went four innings and notched 10 strikeouts while only allowing one hit. Sydney Smith picked up right where she left off with a three inning save. Smith also only allowed one hit and struck out two batters in her third save of the year.
Game Two: Minnesota 10, Wisconsin 3
The Gophers found themselves in trouble down 3-1 after four innings but scored five runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to run away with the comeback victory in game two.
"We just had to keep our composure," Trachsel said. "We felt responsible for two of (Wisconsin's) runs. We will take that and own that. We just kept our composure and stayed confident."
Much like the first game DenHartog brought in Partain in the first inning to give the Gophers a lead.
Minnesota got into trouble in the third inning with a pair of passed balls and an error to help Wisconsin plate three runs.
Hope Brandner tied things up with one swing of the bat in the fifth inning with a hard hit single past the shortstop to score Carlie Brandt and Partain. The Gophers put on the squeeze right after as Emma Burns laid down a bunt and Houlihan beat a tag at home to give Minnesota the lead. Katelyn Kemmetmueller later reached on a throwing error allowing burns and Macy Gill to come home to make it 6-3 Gophers.
Partain, Houlihan and Brandner all reached base in the sixth inning and DenHartog launched a grand slam to put the game out of reach. Denhartog now has 14 home runs this year which is tied for fourth in program history for most in a season.
Fiser went five innings and struck out another 10 batters in the win. She has hit double-digit strikeouts 11 times this year and has 242 on the season. She is 22-6 with a 1.38 ERA on the year.
The Gophers host Iowa this weekend and will finish the regular season at home against first place Northwestern the following week.
The Gophers won 8-2 to start the day and followed it up with a 10-3 victory over the Badgers who came in with 33 wins on the season. Minnesota is now 34-10 overall and 15-1 in Big Ten play with only six conference games left on the schedule.
"We played well," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "We knew it would be tough. I'm proud of how our kids accepted the challenge. We found different ways to win both of the games."
Maddie Houlihan smacked a pair of home runs in the first game and Natalie DenHartog had another big day with six hits, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs in the two wins.
Amber Fiser picked up both wins in the circle. As game one was winding down she was named a top-26 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Game One: Minnesota 8, Wisconsin 2
DenHartog brought in the first run of the day when a single up the middle scored MaKenna Partain. The Badgers were able to tie things up in the bottom of the second inning but it would be all Gophers the rest of the way.
Houlihan launched a rocket of a liner over the wall in left center to make it 3-1 in the thir as Partain also came home. Two batters later DenHartog smashed her first home run of the day to make it 4-1 Minnesota.
A big fifth inning halted any chance at a Wisconsin comeback. Houlihan got it started with her second home run of the day. She now has five on the season. Allie Arneson would later bring in another pair of runs with a double down the left field line and Taylor Chell ripped a pinch hit single through the left side for the final Gophers run of the game.
Wisconsin plated a run in the seventh inning but the Gophers lead was never in question. Amber Fiser went four innings and notched 10 strikeouts while only allowing one hit. Sydney Smith picked up right where she left off with a three inning save. Smith also only allowed one hit and struck out two batters in her third save of the year.
Game Two: Minnesota 10, Wisconsin 3
The Gophers found themselves in trouble down 3-1 after four innings but scored five runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to run away with the comeback victory in game two.
"We just had to keep our composure," Trachsel said. "We felt responsible for two of (Wisconsin's) runs. We will take that and own that. We just kept our composure and stayed confident."
Much like the first game DenHartog brought in Partain in the first inning to give the Gophers a lead.
Minnesota got into trouble in the third inning with a pair of passed balls and an error to help Wisconsin plate three runs.
Hope Brandner tied things up with one swing of the bat in the fifth inning with a hard hit single past the shortstop to score Carlie Brandt and Partain. The Gophers put on the squeeze right after as Emma Burns laid down a bunt and Houlihan beat a tag at home to give Minnesota the lead. Katelyn Kemmetmueller later reached on a throwing error allowing burns and Macy Gill to come home to make it 6-3 Gophers.
Partain, Houlihan and Brandner all reached base in the sixth inning and DenHartog launched a grand slam to put the game out of reach. Denhartog now has 14 home runs this year which is tied for fourth in program history for most in a season.
Fiser went five innings and struck out another 10 batters in the win. She has hit double-digit strikeouts 11 times this year and has 242 on the season. She is 22-6 with a 1.38 ERA on the year.
The Gophers host Iowa this weekend and will finish the regular season at home against first place Northwestern the following week.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fiser, Amber (21-6)
L: Kaitlyn Menz (15-6)
S: Smith, Sydney (0)
Batting:
2B: DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Burns, Emma 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1
HR: Houlihan, Maddie 2 ; DenHartog, Natalie 1
RBI: Houlihan, Maddie 4 ; DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; Chell, Taylor 1
SH: Houlihan, Maddie 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1 ; Lindner, Ali 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Partain, MaKenna 3 ; Houlihan, Maddie 2 ; DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Burns, Emma 1
Batting:
2B: Ally Miklesh 1
RBI: Kayla Konwent 1 ; Ally Miklesh 1
SH: Kelly Welsh 1 ; Ally Miklesh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jolie Fish 1 ; Kelly Welsh 1
SB: Ally Miklesh 1
HBP: Stephanie Lombardo 1 ; Jolie Fish 1
Game Leaders
dp/lf
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
3
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballC/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballMinnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26