University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, April 6
Urbana-Champaign, IL
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
26-8, 7-1
3
at
4
Illinois
24-10, 4-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Minnesota
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
3
6
1
Illinois
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
4
7
1
Gophers Take B1G Series Over Illinois
4/6/2019 7:42:00 PM | Softball
The No. 19/12 University of Minnesota Gophers picked up another Big Ten series win after splitting the afternoon with Illinois today. The Gophers lost 4-3 in eight innings before coming back to win 10-3 in the final game of the series.
The Gophers launched five home runs in the 10-3 victory. It was the second time this season the Maroon and Gold have hit five or more home runs in a game. They smacked a program record six home runs in a game against Kent State earlier this year.
"It was all about how we responded," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "We came out a bit flat in the first game. We put up runs in the last three innings and took the lead but couldn't hang onto it. To come back out and score five runs in the first inning (of the second game) says a lot about the character of this team."
Minnesota is now 27-10 on the season with an 8-1 conference record. They return home on Wednesday for one game against South Dakota State before a weekend Big Ten series with Michigan State. All four games can be streamed on BTN Plus.
Game One: Illinois 4, Minnesota 3 (eight innings)
It was the first extra innings game of the entire season for the Gophers. They were able to take the lead to open the eighth but couldn't hang on.
Illinois jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning after they went on a two out rally with back-to-back singles and an RBI-double down the right field line.
Amber Fiser fired in three straight strikeouts to get out of the fourth inning after Illinois placed a runner at second with no outs. Illinois got to Fiser early in the fifth with a single and a double and the Gophers turned to senior Sydney Smith. The Illini went up 2-0 with a sacrifice fly but Smith prevented any further damage.
The Gophers scraped a run across in the sixth inning. MaKenna Partain led off with a single and Hope Brandner smoked a single past third to put runners on the corners with one out. Natalie DenHartog dropped a single to shallow center to bring in Partain and pull Minnesota within one.
Smith held Illinois in check in the bottom of the sixth and the Gophers grinded out a run in the top of the seventh. Allie Arneson was walked and moved to second as Emma Burns went to lay down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error. Carlie Brandt moved both runners on a sacrifice bunt right after. With two outs on the board, Arneson slid safely home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
Smith made quick work of Illinois in the bottom of the seventh to send it to extras. Brandner gave the Gophers their first lead of the game with the first at bat in extra innings when she launched a solo shot over the wall in left.
Smith only needed one pitch to force the first out on a fly ball in the bottom of the eighth, but Illinois won the game with a walk followed by a walk-off home run to left.
Game Two: Minnesota 10, Illinois 3
The Gophers wasted no timing responding in the final game of the weekend. Brandner kept her strong weekend going with a two-RBI home run to left to start the game. Brandner is hitting .625 with six home runs, 15 RBIs, a 1.458 slugging percentage and a .743 on base percentage through nine conference games this season.
Katelyn Kemmetmueller made it 3-0 when she came across on a throwing error. Josey White later launched her first career home run to cap off the five run frame. The Gophers have scored first in 28 games this season.
DenHartog added some insurance with an RBI-single through the left side in the second inning. Illinois got on the board by way of a two shot home run in the third inning but the Gophers quickly answered right back in the top of the fourth.
Maddie Houlihan's third home run of the season and third of the game for the Gophers gave the Gophers an 8-2 lead.
Illinois again homered in the fourth inning with a solo shot. Fiser stepped into the circle in the fifth inning and wasted no time striking out the side. She kept the Illini in check for the remainder of the game.
Emma Burns launched a solo shot in the sixth inning and Kemmetmueller capped off the home run spree with a solo shot of her own in the seventh inning.
Smith notched the win in the circle and moved to 9-4 on the season with a 2.52 ERA. Fiser grabbed her second save of the season. She has a 1.45 ERA with 179 strikeouts and finished the weekend with 499 career strikeouts. One more strikeout and Fiser will become just the seventh Gopher ever to reach 500 career strikeouts.
The Gophers launched five home runs in the 10-3 victory. It was the second time this season the Maroon and Gold have hit five or more home runs in a game. They smacked a program record six home runs in a game against Kent State earlier this year.
"It was all about how we responded," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "We came out a bit flat in the first game. We put up runs in the last three innings and took the lead but couldn't hang onto it. To come back out and score five runs in the first inning (of the second game) says a lot about the character of this team."
Minnesota is now 27-10 on the season with an 8-1 conference record. They return home on Wednesday for one game against South Dakota State before a weekend Big Ten series with Michigan State. All four games can be streamed on BTN Plus.
Game One: Illinois 4, Minnesota 3 (eight innings)
It was the first extra innings game of the entire season for the Gophers. They were able to take the lead to open the eighth but couldn't hang on.
Illinois jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning after they went on a two out rally with back-to-back singles and an RBI-double down the right field line.
Amber Fiser fired in three straight strikeouts to get out of the fourth inning after Illinois placed a runner at second with no outs. Illinois got to Fiser early in the fifth with a single and a double and the Gophers turned to senior Sydney Smith. The Illini went up 2-0 with a sacrifice fly but Smith prevented any further damage.
The Gophers scraped a run across in the sixth inning. MaKenna Partain led off with a single and Hope Brandner smoked a single past third to put runners on the corners with one out. Natalie DenHartog dropped a single to shallow center to bring in Partain and pull Minnesota within one.
Smith held Illinois in check in the bottom of the sixth and the Gophers grinded out a run in the top of the seventh. Allie Arneson was walked and moved to second as Emma Burns went to lay down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error. Carlie Brandt moved both runners on a sacrifice bunt right after. With two outs on the board, Arneson slid safely home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
Smith made quick work of Illinois in the bottom of the seventh to send it to extras. Brandner gave the Gophers their first lead of the game with the first at bat in extra innings when she launched a solo shot over the wall in left.
Smith only needed one pitch to force the first out on a fly ball in the bottom of the eighth, but Illinois won the game with a walk followed by a walk-off home run to left.
Game Two: Minnesota 10, Illinois 3
The Gophers wasted no timing responding in the final game of the weekend. Brandner kept her strong weekend going with a two-RBI home run to left to start the game. Brandner is hitting .625 with six home runs, 15 RBIs, a 1.458 slugging percentage and a .743 on base percentage through nine conference games this season.
Katelyn Kemmetmueller made it 3-0 when she came across on a throwing error. Josey White later launched her first career home run to cap off the five run frame. The Gophers have scored first in 28 games this season.
DenHartog added some insurance with an RBI-single through the left side in the second inning. Illinois got on the board by way of a two shot home run in the third inning but the Gophers quickly answered right back in the top of the fourth.
Maddie Houlihan's third home run of the season and third of the game for the Gophers gave the Gophers an 8-2 lead.
Illinois again homered in the fourth inning with a solo shot. Fiser stepped into the circle in the fifth inning and wasted no time striking out the side. She kept the Illini in check for the remainder of the game.
Emma Burns launched a solo shot in the sixth inning and Kemmetmueller capped off the home run spree with a solo shot of her own in the seventh inning.
Smith notched the win in the circle and moved to 9-4 on the season with a 2.52 ERA. Fiser grabbed her second save of the season. She has a 1.45 ERA with 179 strikeouts and finished the weekend with 499 career strikeouts. One more strikeout and Fiser will become just the seventh Gopher ever to reach 500 career strikeouts.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sydney Sickels (16-4)
L: Smith, Sydney (8-4)
Batting:
2B: Houlihan, Maddie 1
HR: Brandner, Hope 1
RBI: Brandner, Hope 1 ; DenHartog, Natalie 1
SH: Chell, Taylor 1 ; Burns, Emma 1 ; Brandt, Carlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; Brandner, Hope 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1
Batting:
2B: Kiana Sherlund 1 ; Annie Fleming 1
HR: Katie Wingerter 1
RBI: Carly Thomas 1 ; Annie Fleming 1 ; Katie Wingerter 2
SF: Carly Thomas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kiana Sherlund 1 ; Maddison Demers 1 ; Katie Wingerter 1 ; Avrey Steiner 1
HBP: Carly Thomas 1 ; Kailee Powell 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ 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