University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
40-11
Purdue
31-27
Gophers Advance to Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
5/10/2019 9:47:00 PM | Softball
Minnesota wins 10th straight Big Ten Tournament game going back to 2016
SCHEDULE NOTE: Due to the threat of severe weather Saturday, there will be a revised schedule for Saturday's Tournament games: (all on Big Ten Network).
8 a.m. (CT) - Wisconsin Vs. Michigan (Semifinal 1)
35 minutes after - Northwestern Vs. Minnesota (Semifinal 2)
35 minutes after Semifinal 2 - Championship Game
The Gophers came out swinging in the second inning with two home runs to jump out to an early 3-0 lead. Natalie DenHartog swung at the first pitch she saw and sent it to the right field for her 16th home run on the season. That is tied for the team lead on the year and is second most in a single season in program history.
"We just took it pitch by pitch," DenHartog said. "This is a team that always battles back. We just couldn't let the moment get too big. Purdue (showed up) and fought but so did we."
Up 1-0, Katelyn Kemmetmueller stepped up to the plate later in the frame and hit a two-run home run to left. It was her sixth of the season.That is all. This is the whole tweet. pic.twitter.com/DE0LLvvwFN
— Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 11, 2019
Purdue pulled within one in the top of the fourth. They scored two runs with some aggressive baserunning and a single to shortstop.
Purdue's heart of the order was up in the fifth after quickly sitting the Gophers down in the fourth. They had all the momentum with one on and two outs but Sydney Smith fired in one of her biggest strikeouts of the season to get off the field.
Smith picked up the win in the circle. She went five innings and had four strikeouts while only allowing two runs. Amber Fiser took over in the top of the sixth and struck out one batter in the frame.
Senior shortstop Allie Arneson stepped up big time in the bottom of the sixth. She added insurance with a solo shot to make it 4-2 Gophers on just her second home run of the season.Blessing your timeline with another home run video. You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/G4k6ZgdBWL
— Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 11, 2019
The Boilermakers put the pressure on in the top of the seventh when they loaded up the bases and tacked on one run after a batter was hit by a pitch. Fiser struck out the the next batter to secure the win and pick up the save. The Gophers have now won 10 straight Big Ten Tournament games going back to the 2016 season.
Fiser struck out four batters in two innings of work in her third save of the season. The Gophers take on Northwestern for the fourth time in an eight day span tomorrow and will be the visitor. They picked up the series win over the Wildcats last weekend after dropping Friday's game with an 8-0 win on Saturday and a 4-0 victory on Sunday. Minnesota has won the last three Big Ten Tournament championships and four out of the last five.
"This is a team that battles back." Well said @natdenh, well said. pic.twitter.com/3yxnbzbsbC
— Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) May 11, 2019
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Smith, Sydney (13-4)
L: MADDIE DAMON (1-6)
S: Fiser, Amber (3)
Batting:
RBI: LEXI HUFFMAN 1 ; KASEY WILHOIT 2
Base Running:
RUNS: RACHEL BECKER 1 ; JENNY BEHAN 1 ; MOLLY MEENAN 1
HBP: MALLORY BAKER 1 ; LEXI HUFFMAN 1
Batting:
2B: Houlihan, Maddie 1
HR: DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1
RBI: DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Arneson, Allie 1 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 2
Base Running:
RUNS: DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Arneson, Allie 2 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 1
SB: Burns, Emma 1
