University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 12
U.S. Bank Stadium
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Illinois
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10
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H
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Illinois
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Minnesota Gophers
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Minnesota Comes up Short Against Illinois in Extras
3/12/2021 11:56:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota baseball program battled for 10 innings in the opening matchup of a four-game series against Illinois on Friday night, but ultimately fell short, 6-1.
For the first six innings of the night, neither team was able to break though into the scoring column. Minnesota starting pitcher Sam Ireland matched Illinois starter Andrew Hoffman pitch for pitch, producing six shutout frames to open the game.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Illini touched up Ireland for the first run of the game on a Ryan Hampe solo home run to left field. That run would represent the extent of the scoring off Ireland, however, as the sophomore right-hander worked through the remainder of the seventh before eventually being lifted after 7 1/3 innings – a new career high.
Minnesota answered back in the bottom half of the seventh, scratching a run across to even the score at 1-1. With two outs and Ronald Sweeny on first base, Jack Kelly reached on an infield single and a throwing error by the Illinois shortstop allowed Sweeny to score all the way from first.
Entering in relief of Ireland, southpaw Ryan Duffy handled business admirably for the Maroon & Gold in the eighth and ninth. Following Ireland's exit in the eighth, Duffy recorded two crucial strikeouts to help Minnesota escape into the bottom half of the inning with the score still knotted.
Duffy went on to produce a scoreless frame in the ninth, giving the Maroon & Gold an opportunity to potentially walk things off in the bottom half. Minnesota was unable to push any runs across, as the Illini forced extra innings with a ninth inning zero of their own.
The game came undone in the top of the tenth for the Gophers, as Illinois scored five runs on two bases loaded walks and a pair of run-scoring singles. Despite putting two runners on with a pair of singles from Zack Elliott and Zack Raabe in the bottom of the tenth, Minnesota was unable to close the gap.
Ireland received a no-decision in the game despite firing 7 1/3 innings with one earned run allowed on five hits and two walks while striking out three. Duffy was saddled with the loss, finishing with 1 2/3 innings pitched with three earned runs on three hits and two walks while tying his career high in strikeouts with four.
Reliever Nathan Lavender earned his first win of the year for Illinois, tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings with two hits allowed and four strikeouts.
Minnesota concluded the night with seven hits, with Raabe and Jack Wassel both achieving multi-hit games. Raabe collected three hits on the night, including Minnesota's lone extra-base hit in the form of fourth inning double.
Quotable
"To have the walks and hit batter in the 10th inning, to finish out the game like that, is really unfortunate," head coach John Anderson said. "But, tomorrow we get to play again. We have a doubleheader. We have to be ready to play first pitch of the first game, and we have to try to get the lead and get the momentum back on our side here… Sam Ireland, I thought did a great job of using three pitches tonight."
Notable
Ireland notched a new career high in innings pitched on Friday, lasting 7 1/3 frames while allowing just one run.
Raabe registered three hits in the game and is now slashing .500/.533/1.286 on the season.
With a pair of hits in the game, Wassel extended his on-base streak to 18 games. Raabe also possesses an active 14-game on-base streak to go with a 10-game hitting streak.
Up Next
Minnesota will host Illinois in a Saturday doubleheader on March 13. Both games will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium with start times of 5 and 8 p.m. CT.
For the first six innings of the night, neither team was able to break though into the scoring column. Minnesota starting pitcher Sam Ireland matched Illinois starter Andrew Hoffman pitch for pitch, producing six shutout frames to open the game.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Illini touched up Ireland for the first run of the game on a Ryan Hampe solo home run to left field. That run would represent the extent of the scoring off Ireland, however, as the sophomore right-hander worked through the remainder of the seventh before eventually being lifted after 7 1/3 innings – a new career high.
Minnesota answered back in the bottom half of the seventh, scratching a run across to even the score at 1-1. With two outs and Ronald Sweeny on first base, Jack Kelly reached on an infield single and a throwing error by the Illinois shortstop allowed Sweeny to score all the way from first.
Entering in relief of Ireland, southpaw Ryan Duffy handled business admirably for the Maroon & Gold in the eighth and ninth. Following Ireland's exit in the eighth, Duffy recorded two crucial strikeouts to help Minnesota escape into the bottom half of the inning with the score still knotted.
Duffy went on to produce a scoreless frame in the ninth, giving the Maroon & Gold an opportunity to potentially walk things off in the bottom half. Minnesota was unable to push any runs across, as the Illini forced extra innings with a ninth inning zero of their own.
The game came undone in the top of the tenth for the Gophers, as Illinois scored five runs on two bases loaded walks and a pair of run-scoring singles. Despite putting two runners on with a pair of singles from Zack Elliott and Zack Raabe in the bottom of the tenth, Minnesota was unable to close the gap.
Ireland received a no-decision in the game despite firing 7 1/3 innings with one earned run allowed on five hits and two walks while striking out three. Duffy was saddled with the loss, finishing with 1 2/3 innings pitched with three earned runs on three hits and two walks while tying his career high in strikeouts with four.
Reliever Nathan Lavender earned his first win of the year for Illinois, tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings with two hits allowed and four strikeouts.
Minnesota concluded the night with seven hits, with Raabe and Jack Wassel both achieving multi-hit games. Raabe collected three hits on the night, including Minnesota's lone extra-base hit in the form of fourth inning double.
Quotable
"To have the walks and hit batter in the 10th inning, to finish out the game like that, is really unfortunate," head coach John Anderson said. "But, tomorrow we get to play again. We have a doubleheader. We have to be ready to play first pitch of the first game, and we have to try to get the lead and get the momentum back on our side here… Sam Ireland, I thought did a great job of using three pitches tonight."
Notable
Ireland notched a new career high in innings pitched on Friday, lasting 7 1/3 frames while allowing just one run.
Raabe registered three hits in the game and is now slashing .500/.533/1.286 on the season.
With a pair of hits in the game, Wassel extended his on-base streak to 18 games. Raabe also possesses an active 14-game on-base streak to go with a 10-game hitting streak.
Up Next
Minnesota will host Illinois in a Saturday doubleheader on March 13. Both games will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium with start times of 5 and 8 p.m. CT.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lavender,Nathan (1-0)
L: Duffy, Ryan (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Hampe,Ryan 1
RBI: Comia,Branden 1 ; Sarver,Kellen 2 ; Hampe,Ryan 1 ; Campbell,Jacob 1 ; Raper,Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson,Taylor 1 ; Doligale,Danny 1 ; Comia,Branden 1 ; Sarver,Kellen 1 ; Hampe,Ryan 1 ; Hejza,Cal 1
SB: Kim,Andrew 1
HBP: McDonald,Cam 1
PO: Sarver,Kellen 1
Batting:
2B: Raabe, Zack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sweeny, Ronald 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
ph/ss
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
LHP
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RHP/1B
/ BaseballC/OF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
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