University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 7
Clearwater, FL
4:00 PM
University of Minnesota
1-0
1
vs
0
Missouri State
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Minnesota
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
Missouri State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
Gophers Open 2020 with Pair of Wins
2/7/2020 11:13:00 PM | Softball
•   In her first start in the Maroon and Gold, sophomore transfer Autumn Pease tossed five strikeouts and only allowed two hits and no runs in five innings of work to pick up the first victory of the season against Missouri State.Â
•   Hopkins, Minn. native Natalie DenHartog recorded the first home run of the 2020 season and led the team by reaching base six times between the two games.Â
•   All-American Amber Fiser picked up a save and a victory and matched her career high with 13 strikeouts against NC State this evening.Â
The University of Minnesota Gophers picked up two wins on opening day using pitching and defense to top Missouri State 1-0 and quality at-bats in a 13-7 victory over NC State.Â
Game One: Minnesota 1, Missouri State 0Â
Pease got the first start of the season in the circle and left Missouri State off balance with her changeup all evening. She notched five strikeouts and only allowed two hits, never in danger against the Missouri State offense.Â
The Gophers offense was held in check the majority of the game but scraped a run across in the third inning. Freshman Olivia Peterson provided a spark with a single to left field for the Gophers first hit of the game. She moved to second on an Ali Lindner sacrifice bunt and scored on a MaKenna Partain single to left field.Â
Fiser picked up the save with a commanding sixth and seventh inning. She only allowed one hit while striking out three batters.Â
Game Two: Minnesota 13, Missouri State 7
Unlike the first game of the day, the Gophers got on the board early and often. Emily Hansen, who picked up two starts at first base this evening, brought Partain home right away in the first with a sacrifice fly and Lindner tacked on two more with a ground-rule double.Â
NC State followed with two runs in the bottom of the first. The trend continued throughout the game with the two teams trading blows but Minnesota never relinquished the lead.Â
DenHartog launched the lone home run on the night for the Gophers in the second inning. The Gophers tried to pull away in the fourth inning with a five-run frame. With two runs in the sixth, Minnesota was in position for a run-rule victory but NC State pushed it to the seventh with three runs in the bottom of the frame.Â
The Gophers picked up 13 runs on just six hits with the help of four NC State errors, ten walks and three hit by pitches.Â
Fiser pitched the first five innings of the game, then reentered with the bases loaded in the sixth inning to close out the game. She officially ended with seven innings pitched and 13 strikeouts to match her career high for the sixth time.Â
Quotable
Overall thoughts on the day…"Two good wins. We did this a lot last year. We found ways to win," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "That's what good teams do. They find different ways to win. We did a lot of things well tonight and we have things that we need to work on."Â
On the new faces in the lineup…"They were fearless," Trachsel said. "They fell to their training and we have a lot of confidence in everyone that's on this roster."Â
On a quick turnaround after long travel day and late doubleheader..."We are adaptable. That's why you train hard, that's why you push yourself a little bit more here and there," Trachsel said. "No excuses. We will be ready to go for Missouri and South Alabama."Â
Noteable
Minnesota has now won 14 straight games on opening day and have not lost an opening day game since 2013.Â
Up Next
The Gophers have another doubleheader tomorrow at the NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic. They face Missouri, who is receiving votes in both major polls, at 11:30 a.m. CT followed by a matchup with South Alabama at 2 p.m. CT.Â
Â
•   Hopkins, Minn. native Natalie DenHartog recorded the first home run of the 2020 season and led the team by reaching base six times between the two games.Â
•   All-American Amber Fiser picked up a save and a victory and matched her career high with 13 strikeouts against NC State this evening.Â
The University of Minnesota Gophers picked up two wins on opening day using pitching and defense to top Missouri State 1-0 and quality at-bats in a 13-7 victory over NC State.Â
Game One: Minnesota 1, Missouri State 0Â
Pease got the first start of the season in the circle and left Missouri State off balance with her changeup all evening. She notched five strikeouts and only allowed two hits, never in danger against the Missouri State offense.Â
The Gophers offense was held in check the majority of the game but scraped a run across in the third inning. Freshman Olivia Peterson provided a spark with a single to left field for the Gophers first hit of the game. She moved to second on an Ali Lindner sacrifice bunt and scored on a MaKenna Partain single to left field.Â
Fiser picked up the save with a commanding sixth and seventh inning. She only allowed one hit while striking out three batters.Â
Game Two: Minnesota 13, Missouri State 7
Unlike the first game of the day, the Gophers got on the board early and often. Emily Hansen, who picked up two starts at first base this evening, brought Partain home right away in the first with a sacrifice fly and Lindner tacked on two more with a ground-rule double.Â
NC State followed with two runs in the bottom of the first. The trend continued throughout the game with the two teams trading blows but Minnesota never relinquished the lead.Â
DenHartog launched the lone home run on the night for the Gophers in the second inning. The Gophers tried to pull away in the fourth inning with a five-run frame. With two runs in the sixth, Minnesota was in position for a run-rule victory but NC State pushed it to the seventh with three runs in the bottom of the frame.Â
The Gophers picked up 13 runs on just six hits with the help of four NC State errors, ten walks and three hit by pitches.Â
Fiser pitched the first five innings of the game, then reentered with the bases loaded in the sixth inning to close out the game. She officially ended with seven innings pitched and 13 strikeouts to match her career high for the sixth time.Â
Quotable
Overall thoughts on the day…"Two good wins. We did this a lot last year. We found ways to win," head coach Jamie Trachsel said. "That's what good teams do. They find different ways to win. We did a lot of things well tonight and we have things that we need to work on."Â
On the new faces in the lineup…"They were fearless," Trachsel said. "They fell to their training and we have a lot of confidence in everyone that's on this roster."Â
On a quick turnaround after long travel day and late doubleheader..."We are adaptable. That's why you train hard, that's why you push yourself a little bit more here and there," Trachsel said. "No excuses. We will be ready to go for Missouri and South Alabama."Â
Noteable
Minnesota has now won 14 straight games on opening day and have not lost an opening day game since 2013.Â
Up Next
The Gophers have another doubleheader tomorrow at the NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic. They face Missouri, who is receiving votes in both major polls, at 11:30 a.m. CT followed by a matchup with South Alabama at 2 p.m. CT.Â
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fiser, Amber (1-0)
L: Devin Wallace (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Lindner, Ali 1
HR: DenHartog, Natalie 1
RBI: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; Brandt, Carlie 2 ; DenHartog, Natalie 3 ; Hansen, Emily 1 ; Lindner, Ali 2 ; Vander Heide , Brooke 1
SF: Hansen, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Partain, MaKenna 1 ; Brandt, Carlie 1 ; DenHartog, Natalie 3 ; Kemmetmueller, Katelyn 2 ; White, Josey 1 ; Lindner, Ali 1 ; Peterson, Olivia 1 ; Strelow, Sydney 1 ; Vander Heide , Brooke 2
HBP: DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Lindner, Ali 1
Batting:
RBI: Sam Russ 2 ; Tatyana Forbes 3 ; Logan Morris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sam Russ 1 ; Tatyana Forbes 1 ; Randi Farricker 1 ; April Visser 1 ; Sam Sack 1 ; Kelsey O'Connor 1 ; Carson Shaner 1
SB: Sam Russ 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
UT
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