University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 8
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
6-10
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Gophers Drop Rubber Match to Utah
3/8/2020 6:34:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS – The Gopher Baseball team came up short in a back-and-forth rubber match against Utah on Sunday afternoon, 17-11.
In a game that featured four lead changes, the Utes were the first to put a number in the scoring column. Utah scored one run in the first inning on a double steal of second base and home. The score became 2-0 on an RBI single to right-center in the second.
The Utah lead would prove to be short-lived, however, as the Gophers came roaring back in the bottom half of the second. Sam Ireland put Minnesota on the board with an RBI double down the left field line that plated Easton Bertrand to begin the scoring.
In a unique moment at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Maroon & Gold knotted the game at two runs apiece as Drew Stahl singled in Ireland with a clutch two-out knock to center field. Ireland and Stahl competed together at Mountain Vista High School (Colo.) and won a state championship together in 2018.
With the game tied, Otto Grimm stepped to the plate and delivered a go-ahead single to left, bringing Stahl in to score.
It would not take long for the Utes to turn around and erase the Gopher lead in a similar fashion. Utah plated two runs in the third on an RBI single and bases loaded walk to regain the lead, 4-3. Minnesota starter Drake Davis was knocked out of the contest in the inning, pitching 2 2/3 innings with four runs on seven hits, three walks and tying his career high with six strikeouts.
As the game progressed, it became evident the rubber match would be a back-and-forth affair. In the bottom half of the third, Minnesota loaded the bases on an Andrew Wilhite hit-by-pitch and a pair of bunt singles from Zack Raabe and Jack Wassel. Already with a double in the contest, Bertrand delivered a big two-run single to left field to give the Gophers the lead back, 5-4.
In the fourth, Utah tied the game with a double before taking the lead in the fifth. The Utes' four-run fifth inning gave them a 9-5 advantage, signifying the fourth and final lead change of the day. Utah would go on to add three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to seven.
With the U trailing 12-5, Grimm crushed a 1-0 Utah offering in the sixth off the batter's eye in straightaway center field for the first home run of his college career. Minnesota would go on to plate a seventh run on a wild pitch with two outs.
The Gophers' comeback attempt stalled at that point, as the Utes added four more runs in the seventh and ultimately went on to win the game, 17-11. Minnesota reliever Nolan Burchill was saddled with the loss after throwing 1 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
Utah reliever Josh Giffins earned the win, tossing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters.
Quotable
"You're going to have some of these days. I've had them before in my career," said head coach John Anderson. "We've had a lot of games. It's not a secret that we've struggled on the mound, but we need some pitchers here to step up and pitch at a higher level."
Notable
Grimm hit the first home run of his college career in the sixth inning on Sunday. The redshirt freshman finished two-for-three at the plate with a career and team-high three RBI.
Raabe collected four hits in the contest, finishing four-for-six with a run scored. The performance signifies the sophomore's second three-hit game of the series and his fifth overall of the season. After today, Raabe is batting .441 across 59 at bats in 2020.
Gus Radel made his season debut on the mound for Minnesota, throwing two no-hit innings of relief and turning in the Gophers' only scoreless outing of the day in the ninth inning.
Up Next
Minnesota hosts Creighton on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in the first of a pair of midweek games between the two teams.
In a game that featured four lead changes, the Utes were the first to put a number in the scoring column. Utah scored one run in the first inning on a double steal of second base and home. The score became 2-0 on an RBI single to right-center in the second.
The Utah lead would prove to be short-lived, however, as the Gophers came roaring back in the bottom half of the second. Sam Ireland put Minnesota on the board with an RBI double down the left field line that plated Easton Bertrand to begin the scoring.
In a unique moment at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Maroon & Gold knotted the game at two runs apiece as Drew Stahl singled in Ireland with a clutch two-out knock to center field. Ireland and Stahl competed together at Mountain Vista High School (Colo.) and won a state championship together in 2018.
With the game tied, Otto Grimm stepped to the plate and delivered a go-ahead single to left, bringing Stahl in to score.
It would not take long for the Utes to turn around and erase the Gopher lead in a similar fashion. Utah plated two runs in the third on an RBI single and bases loaded walk to regain the lead, 4-3. Minnesota starter Drake Davis was knocked out of the contest in the inning, pitching 2 2/3 innings with four runs on seven hits, three walks and tying his career high with six strikeouts.
As the game progressed, it became evident the rubber match would be a back-and-forth affair. In the bottom half of the third, Minnesota loaded the bases on an Andrew Wilhite hit-by-pitch and a pair of bunt singles from Zack Raabe and Jack Wassel. Already with a double in the contest, Bertrand delivered a big two-run single to left field to give the Gophers the lead back, 5-4.
In the fourth, Utah tied the game with a double before taking the lead in the fifth. The Utes' four-run fifth inning gave them a 9-5 advantage, signifying the fourth and final lead change of the day. Utah would go on to add three more runs in the sixth to extend their lead to seven.
With the U trailing 12-5, Grimm crushed a 1-0 Utah offering in the sixth off the batter's eye in straightaway center field for the first home run of his college career. Minnesota would go on to plate a seventh run on a wild pitch with two outs.
The Gophers' comeback attempt stalled at that point, as the Utes added four more runs in the seventh and ultimately went on to win the game, 17-11. Minnesota reliever Nolan Burchill was saddled with the loss after throwing 1 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on four hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
Utah reliever Josh Giffins earned the win, tossing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters.
Quotable
"You're going to have some of these days. I've had them before in my career," said head coach John Anderson. "We've had a lot of games. It's not a secret that we've struggled on the mound, but we need some pitchers here to step up and pitch at a higher level."
Notable
Grimm hit the first home run of his college career in the sixth inning on Sunday. The redshirt freshman finished two-for-three at the plate with a career and team-high three RBI.
Raabe collected four hits in the contest, finishing four-for-six with a run scored. The performance signifies the sophomore's second three-hit game of the series and his fifth overall of the season. After today, Raabe is batting .441 across 59 at bats in 2020.
Gus Radel made his season debut on the mound for Minnesota, throwing two no-hit innings of relief and turning in the Gophers' only scoreless outing of the day in the ninth inning.
Up Next
Minnesota hosts Creighton on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in the first of a pair of midweek games between the two teams.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Giffins, Josh (1-1)
L: Burchill, Nolan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Knight, Briley 2 ; Zavolta, Vinny 1
HR: Fernlund, Chase 1 ; Yates, Kayler 1
RBI: Knight, Briley 3 ; Fernlund, Chase 4 ; Kiernan, Jayden 1 ; Kramer, Shea 1 ; Zavolta, Vinny 1 ; Moeller, Zack 1 ; Rudy, Brock 1 ; Yates, Kayler 2
SH: Yates, Kayler 1
SF: Rudy, Brock 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Knight, Briley 2 ; Fernlund, Chase 2 ; Kiernan, Jayden 1 ; Kramer, Shea 2 ; Zavolta, Vinny 2 ; Moeller, Zack 2 ; Rudy, Brock 1 ; Yates, Kayler 1 ; Richardson, Matt 4
SB: Fernlund, Chase 1 ; Kiernan, Jayden 2 ; Kramer, Shea 1 ; Zavolta, Vinny 1 ; Richardson, Matt 1
CS: Moeller, Zack 1
HBP: Knight, Briley 1
PO: Moeller, Zack 1
Batting:
2B: Bertrand, Easton 1 ; Ireland, Sam 1
HR: Grimm, Otto 1
RBI: Bertrand, Easton 2 ; Ireland, Sam 1 ; Kozicky, Jordan 1 ; Stahl, Drew 1 ; Grimm, Otto 3
SH: Kelly, Jack 1
SF: Grimm, Otto 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilhite, Andrew 2 ; Raabe, Zack 1 ; Bertrand, Easton 1 ; Knowles, Gabe 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1 ; Ireland, Sam 1 ; Kozicky, Jordan 1 ; Stahl, Drew 2 ; Grimm, Otto 1
SB: Stahl, Drew 1
HBP: Wilhite, Andrew 1 ; Kozicky, Jordan 1 ; Grimm, Otto 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
6
R
1
H
4
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
rf/cf
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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RHP
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RHP/1B
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IF
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