University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, April 11
Evanston, IL
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
2
at
1
Northwestern
Gophers Use Long Ball to Sweep No. 22 Northwestern
4/11/2021 5:18:00 PM | Softball
Minnesota extends win streak to five, takes four from first-place Wildcats
The University of Minnesota softball team won both games of a Sunday doubleheader against No. 22 Northwestern at Sharon J. Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill. Minnesota prevailed 2-1 in eight innings in Game 1 and then crushed four home runs in Game 2 to win 10-4.Â
The Gophers took four games from the Wildcats during the weekend to improve to 19-5 on the season and 7-1 on the road. Northwestern is now 18-6 on the season.Â
Game 1
Pinch hitter Delanie Cox hit a solo home run in the eight inning for Minnesota and pitchers Autumn Pease and Amber Fiser were dominant in the circle as the Gophers beat Northwestern 2-1.Â
Cox homered on a 1-1 count to deep left field with one out in the top of the eighth to put Minnesota in front. Â
Northwestern scored an unearned run in the first inning, but Pease was lights out in the circle for the rest of the game. Pease improved to 9-1 after allowing six hits and striking out nine (walking zero) in 7.0 innings. Seventy of Pease's 100 pitches were strikes. Fiser pitched the eighth inning for the Gophers and faced only three hitters (two strikeouts) as she earned her third save of the season. Minnesota retired the last 12 Northwestern batters of the game. Â
For Cox, it was her second at bat of the season and her first career hit, a home run that cleared the fence in left by about 30 feet before bouncing off a building in the distance.Â
Wildcat pitcher Danielle Williams fell to 10-2 on the season. She allowed only five hits before Cox launched the game-winner and ended the game yielding seven hits during 7.2 innings. Williams walked three and struck out seven while throwing 165 pitches. Â
Minnesota tied the game 1-1 in the third inning. Katelyn Kemmetmueller doubled to right center to start the inning and then Natalie DenHartog was intentionally walked. Emily Hansen moved Kemmetmueller to third and DenHartog to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sydney Strelow reached on a fielder's choice to third base and then advanced to second. On the play, DenHartog advanced to third and Kemmetmueller was caught in a rundown between third and home. She was eventually tagged out at home by pitcher Williams and was then ejected under the collision rule (rule 12.13.1). MacKenzie Denson then reached on an error, allowing DenHartog to score and tie the game 1-1.
Game 2
Minnesota used the long ball to top Northwestern 10-4 in the final game of the series. The Gophers had 12 hits – four of which were home runs – as they swept the Wildcats. All 10 of Minnesota's runs were scored as a result of a home run. Fiser scattered eight hits and allowed four runs in a complete game win. She struck out eight and improved to 9-4 on the season.Â
Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. MaKenna Partain singled to center field off of Morgan Newport (3-2) and then DenHartog drew a walk. Kemmetmueller followed with a home run to left center to give Minnesota the lead.Â
Northwestern got two runs back in the bottom of the first when Jordyn Rudd hit a two-run homer to left field.
The Wildcats replaced Newport after 1.1 innings of work, and she left the game in the second inning with two on after giving up six hits and five runs on the day. Northwestern tabbed Lauren Boyd to replace Newport and she was quickly welcomed to the game by DenHartog, who hit a three-run shot (her eighth home run of the year) to center field to put the Gophers up 6-2.Â
Rachel Lewis answered for the Wildcats in the third inning with a two-run home run to right center to cut the deficit to 6-4. But that is all the runs that Fiser would allow, as she permitted just three hits over the final four innings.Â
Minnesota closed out its scoring with a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run homer in the sixth.
Partain hit her seventh homer of the season in the fourth when he drilled a shot to left field and freshman Chloe Evans hit a three-run pinch hit homer to right field with two outs in the sixth inning to complete the scoring for the Gophers. It was the first career hit – and home run – for Evans. Â
Up Next
Minnesota, which has won five straight games, welcomes Nebraska to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for four games from April 16-18.Â
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The Gophers took four games from the Wildcats during the weekend to improve to 19-5 on the season and 7-1 on the road. Northwestern is now 18-6 on the season.Â
Game 1
Pinch hitter Delanie Cox hit a solo home run in the eight inning for Minnesota and pitchers Autumn Pease and Amber Fiser were dominant in the circle as the Gophers beat Northwestern 2-1.Â
Cox homered on a 1-1 count to deep left field with one out in the top of the eighth to put Minnesota in front. Â
Northwestern scored an unearned run in the first inning, but Pease was lights out in the circle for the rest of the game. Pease improved to 9-1 after allowing six hits and striking out nine (walking zero) in 7.0 innings. Seventy of Pease's 100 pitches were strikes. Fiser pitched the eighth inning for the Gophers and faced only three hitters (two strikeouts) as she earned her third save of the season. Minnesota retired the last 12 Northwestern batters of the game. Â
For Cox, it was her second at bat of the season and her first career hit, a home run that cleared the fence in left by about 30 feet before bouncing off a building in the distance.Â
Wildcat pitcher Danielle Williams fell to 10-2 on the season. She allowed only five hits before Cox launched the game-winner and ended the game yielding seven hits during 7.2 innings. Williams walked three and struck out seven while throwing 165 pitches. Â
Minnesota tied the game 1-1 in the third inning. Katelyn Kemmetmueller doubled to right center to start the inning and then Natalie DenHartog was intentionally walked. Emily Hansen moved Kemmetmueller to third and DenHartog to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sydney Strelow reached on a fielder's choice to third base and then advanced to second. On the play, DenHartog advanced to third and Kemmetmueller was caught in a rundown between third and home. She was eventually tagged out at home by pitcher Williams and was then ejected under the collision rule (rule 12.13.1). MacKenzie Denson then reached on an error, allowing DenHartog to score and tie the game 1-1.
Game 2
Minnesota used the long ball to top Northwestern 10-4 in the final game of the series. The Gophers had 12 hits – four of which were home runs – as they swept the Wildcats. All 10 of Minnesota's runs were scored as a result of a home run. Fiser scattered eight hits and allowed four runs in a complete game win. She struck out eight and improved to 9-4 on the season.Â
Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. MaKenna Partain singled to center field off of Morgan Newport (3-2) and then DenHartog drew a walk. Kemmetmueller followed with a home run to left center to give Minnesota the lead.Â
Northwestern got two runs back in the bottom of the first when Jordyn Rudd hit a two-run homer to left field.
The Wildcats replaced Newport after 1.1 innings of work, and she left the game in the second inning with two on after giving up six hits and five runs on the day. Northwestern tabbed Lauren Boyd to replace Newport and she was quickly welcomed to the game by DenHartog, who hit a three-run shot (her eighth home run of the year) to center field to put the Gophers up 6-2.Â
Rachel Lewis answered for the Wildcats in the third inning with a two-run home run to right center to cut the deficit to 6-4. But that is all the runs that Fiser would allow, as she permitted just three hits over the final four innings.Â
Minnesota closed out its scoring with a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run homer in the sixth.
Partain hit her seventh homer of the season in the fourth when he drilled a shot to left field and freshman Chloe Evans hit a three-run pinch hit homer to right field with two outs in the sixth inning to complete the scoring for the Gophers. It was the first career hit – and home run – for Evans. Â
Up Next
Minnesota, which has won five straight games, welcomes Nebraska to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for four games from April 16-18.Â
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Players Mentioned
UT
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UT
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OF
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UT
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RHP
/ Softball
UT
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UT
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INF
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RHP
/ Softball
IF
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