University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 15
Tempe, AZ
2:00 PM
University of Minnesota
6
vs
8
Pepperdine
Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Gophers Fall to Pepperdine in Tempe
2/15/2020 8:36:00 PM | Baseball
Tempe, Ariz. – The University of Minnesota baseball program dropped their first contest of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Pepperdine Waves at the Angels College Classic, 8-6.
Things started out on the right foot for the Gophers, who took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a Gabe Knowles RBI single and a subsequent passed ball that allowed Drew Hmielewski to cross home plate.
Pepperdine answered right back, however, tallying two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second. The Waves would go on to add two more runs in the third, knocking Minnesota starter Sam Thoresen out of the game.
At that point, redshirt sophomore Drake Davis made his long-awaited Gopher debut after sitting out his first two collegiate campaigns due to Tommy John Surgery and NCAA transfer restrictions. Davis worked 2 2/3 scoreless frames for the U before running into trouble in the sixth.
Pepperdine ultimately produced three more runs in the sixth before capping off their scoring for the day with a single run in the eighth.
Entering the top half of the ninth with an 8-2 deficit, the Minnesota bats began to come to life and claw back into the game. The Gophers loaded up the bases with one out, allowing a Jack Wassel RBI walk to bring in a run and trim the Pepperdine lead to five.
With the bases still juiced, freshman Drew Stahl stepped to the plate, having recorded his first career plate appearance earlier in the day. Stahl tacked on another career first on Saturday, as the freshman laced a two-run single to left-center field, bringing the score to 8-5.
Minnesota would come within two before the comeback attempt ultimately fizzled, as Wassel scored the Maroon and Gold's sixth and final run on a wild pitch.
Thoresen received the loss for the Gophers in his season debut, tossing 2 1/3 innings with four earned runs, two hits, six walks and six strikeouts. Davis ended up with a final line of 2 2/3 frames with three earned runs, four hits and five strikeouts.
Ryan Duffy delivered the only scoreless outing for the U against the Waves, firing two innings of relief and surrendering a lone walk.
In addition to Stahl, freshman Sam Ireland also made his college debut with the bat. Ireland smashed a long double to the left-center field wall to notch his first hit in Maroon and Gold.
Although no Gopher had a multi-hit day against Pepperdine, nine different Minnesota players managed to break into the hit column.
Pepperdine starter Cooper Chandler came away with the win, hurling five innings of two-run ball (one earned) to go along with five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Quotable
"There are little adjustments you need to make to get your feet underneath you and find your place," said head coach John Anderson. "I don't think talent is going to be our problem. We just have to stay together. I've seen so many good things here. I like where we're ticking up on offense."
"I'm very grateful. It's been a long time coming," said Davis. "A lot of tough days, so I'm very grateful. I think this second game is a learning experience. We're going to take a lot away from it and I think we're going to come back better. We're going to stick to our systems and we'll be ready."
Notable
After waiting two-plus years to make his college debut, Davis returned to the mound on Saturday and fired 2 2/3 scoreless frames before being knocked out of the game in the sixth. David finished with three earned runs and five strikeouts in the outing.
Former high school teammates Drew Stahl and Sam Ireland each swatted their first career hits against Pepperdine, with Stahl doing so with a two-run single in the ninth and Ireland launching a double to the wall in the seventh.
Nine different Gophers had a base hit on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next
Minnesota will play the San Diego Toreros tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m. CT at Tempe Diablo Stadium in their third and final game of the Angels College Classic.
Things started out on the right foot for the Gophers, who took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning thanks to a Gabe Knowles RBI single and a subsequent passed ball that allowed Drew Hmielewski to cross home plate.
Pepperdine answered right back, however, tallying two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second. The Waves would go on to add two more runs in the third, knocking Minnesota starter Sam Thoresen out of the game.
At that point, redshirt sophomore Drake Davis made his long-awaited Gopher debut after sitting out his first two collegiate campaigns due to Tommy John Surgery and NCAA transfer restrictions. Davis worked 2 2/3 scoreless frames for the U before running into trouble in the sixth.
Pepperdine ultimately produced three more runs in the sixth before capping off their scoring for the day with a single run in the eighth.
Entering the top half of the ninth with an 8-2 deficit, the Minnesota bats began to come to life and claw back into the game. The Gophers loaded up the bases with one out, allowing a Jack Wassel RBI walk to bring in a run and trim the Pepperdine lead to five.
With the bases still juiced, freshman Drew Stahl stepped to the plate, having recorded his first career plate appearance earlier in the day. Stahl tacked on another career first on Saturday, as the freshman laced a two-run single to left-center field, bringing the score to 8-5.
Minnesota would come within two before the comeback attempt ultimately fizzled, as Wassel scored the Maroon and Gold's sixth and final run on a wild pitch.
Thoresen received the loss for the Gophers in his season debut, tossing 2 1/3 innings with four earned runs, two hits, six walks and six strikeouts. Davis ended up with a final line of 2 2/3 frames with three earned runs, four hits and five strikeouts.
Ryan Duffy delivered the only scoreless outing for the U against the Waves, firing two innings of relief and surrendering a lone walk.
In addition to Stahl, freshman Sam Ireland also made his college debut with the bat. Ireland smashed a long double to the left-center field wall to notch his first hit in Maroon and Gold.
Although no Gopher had a multi-hit day against Pepperdine, nine different Minnesota players managed to break into the hit column.
Pepperdine starter Cooper Chandler came away with the win, hurling five innings of two-run ball (one earned) to go along with five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Quotable
"There are little adjustments you need to make to get your feet underneath you and find your place," said head coach John Anderson. "I don't think talent is going to be our problem. We just have to stay together. I've seen so many good things here. I like where we're ticking up on offense."
"I'm very grateful. It's been a long time coming," said Davis. "A lot of tough days, so I'm very grateful. I think this second game is a learning experience. We're going to take a lot away from it and I think we're going to come back better. We're going to stick to our systems and we'll be ready."
Notable
After waiting two-plus years to make his college debut, Davis returned to the mound on Saturday and fired 2 2/3 scoreless frames before being knocked out of the game in the sixth. David finished with three earned runs and five strikeouts in the outing.
Former high school teammates Drew Stahl and Sam Ireland each swatted their first career hits against Pepperdine, with Stahl doing so with a two-run single in the ninth and Ireland launching a double to the wall in the seventh.
Nine different Gophers had a base hit on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next
Minnesota will play the San Diego Toreros tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 p.m. CT at Tempe Diablo Stadium in their third and final game of the Angels College Classic.
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