University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 25
Charlotte, NC
11:30 AM
University of Minnesota
8-4
5
vs
4
Northern Iowa
2-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Minnesota
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
5
12
2
UNI
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
4
6
1
Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Gophers Take Split in Charlotte Friday
2/25/2022 8:30:00 PM | Softball
CHARLOTTE - Minnesota held off UNI picking up a 5-4 win in game one before falling 4-3 at No. 21 Charlotte on the opening day of the Niner Invitational from Daughtridge Stadium.
Game One
Minnesota jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and held off UNI's comeback bid earning its fifth-straight victory, 5-4. Emily Leavitt tossed a complete game for the win and Makenna Dowell and Natalie DenHartog each hit two-run home runs leading the offense.
It only took three batters into the game for the Gophers to strike for a 2-0 advantage as Lauren Espalin hit a lead-off single and Dowell cleared the fence in right center for a one-out, two-run blast. The margin stretched to 3-0 in the second as Kayla Chavez hit a one-out single and Espalin followed with a RBI double. Minnesota continued its offensive onslaught as DenHartog belted her 43rd career home run, tying for second in program history, taking a five-run lead.
Leavitt struck out the first four batters she faced, but a two-out single moved to third after a throwing error. The Panthers got on the board scoring from a passed ball before Leavitt ended the inning on another strikeout. UNI tallied a pair of runs in the third getting a two-run homer closing the gap to 5-3.
The Minnesota defense delivered in the bottom of the fourth as the Panthers hit a lead-off single. The runner was quickly erased as the Gophers turned a 6-4-3 double play behind the arm of Sydney Strelow. A Dowell strike from across the diamond ended the inning preserving the two-run advantage.
Minnesota looked to break the game open behind back-to-back, two-out hits, but a fly ball caught at the warning track closed the fifth-inning threat. UNI put together a two-out rally of its own getting runners on the corners before Leavitt froze the batter for a called third strike to stop the chance. The Panthers struck for a solo home run opening the seventh to cut the margin to one, 5-4, only to see the Gophers retire the next three hitters securing the win.
Leavitt went the distance in the circle striking out a career-best eight batters allowing three earned runs on six hits. Espalin led the offense with three hits, while Dowell and Chavez each had two.
Game Two
After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, Minnesota battled back to make it a one-run game but could not pull off the comeback falling 4-3 to snap its win streak.
The Niners used three-straight, one-out singles to load the bases and scored first on a sacrifice fly. The home side pushed the lead to 4-0 hitting a three-run home run with two outs. Minnesota was able to start the second with back-to-back singles from Dowell and Chloe Evans, but Charlotte snagged a liner and doubled off the runner as it held the visitors off the scoreboard. A similar play by the Niners stopped the Gophers offense in the third turning an inning-ending double play off a liner.
Two errors by Charlotte helped Minnesota get back into the game as Espalin scored on an Evans groundout closing the gap to 4-1 in the fourth. The next inning it was Espalin that came through following a lead-off double by Strelow as the senior ripped a RBI single to right pulling the Gophers one run closer. The rally continued into the sixth when Dowell opened the frame hitting a single and scored from second on Sara Kinch's RBI single down the line in left cutting the margin to 4-3.
Behind an inning-ending double play turned by Chavez and the Gophers defense, momentum was in their favor heading into the final inning. For just the second time in the game, Minnesota went down in order suffering the 4-3 loss.
Pease threw the complete game allowing four runs on nine hits and struck out six. Dowell and Kinch each turned in multi-hit efforts at the plate.
UP NEXT
The Gophers are set for two Saturday morning games starting at 9 a.m. (CT) against UNI followed by a matchup with Wichita State from Daughtridge Stadium in Charlotte.
Game One
Minnesota jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings and held off UNI's comeback bid earning its fifth-straight victory, 5-4. Emily Leavitt tossed a complete game for the win and Makenna Dowell and Natalie DenHartog each hit two-run home runs leading the offense.
It only took three batters into the game for the Gophers to strike for a 2-0 advantage as Lauren Espalin hit a lead-off single and Dowell cleared the fence in right center for a one-out, two-run blast. The margin stretched to 3-0 in the second as Kayla Chavez hit a one-out single and Espalin followed with a RBI double. Minnesota continued its offensive onslaught as DenHartog belted her 43rd career home run, tying for second in program history, taking a five-run lead.
Leavitt struck out the first four batters she faced, but a two-out single moved to third after a throwing error. The Panthers got on the board scoring from a passed ball before Leavitt ended the inning on another strikeout. UNI tallied a pair of runs in the third getting a two-run homer closing the gap to 5-3.
The Minnesota defense delivered in the bottom of the fourth as the Panthers hit a lead-off single. The runner was quickly erased as the Gophers turned a 6-4-3 double play behind the arm of Sydney Strelow. A Dowell strike from across the diamond ended the inning preserving the two-run advantage.
Minnesota looked to break the game open behind back-to-back, two-out hits, but a fly ball caught at the warning track closed the fifth-inning threat. UNI put together a two-out rally of its own getting runners on the corners before Leavitt froze the batter for a called third strike to stop the chance. The Panthers struck for a solo home run opening the seventh to cut the margin to one, 5-4, only to see the Gophers retire the next three hitters securing the win.
Leavitt went the distance in the circle striking out a career-best eight batters allowing three earned runs on six hits. Espalin led the offense with three hits, while Dowell and Chavez each had two.
Game Two
After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, Minnesota battled back to make it a one-run game but could not pull off the comeback falling 4-3 to snap its win streak.
The Niners used three-straight, one-out singles to load the bases and scored first on a sacrifice fly. The home side pushed the lead to 4-0 hitting a three-run home run with two outs. Minnesota was able to start the second with back-to-back singles from Dowell and Chloe Evans, but Charlotte snagged a liner and doubled off the runner as it held the visitors off the scoreboard. A similar play by the Niners stopped the Gophers offense in the third turning an inning-ending double play off a liner.
Two errors by Charlotte helped Minnesota get back into the game as Espalin scored on an Evans groundout closing the gap to 4-1 in the fourth. The next inning it was Espalin that came through following a lead-off double by Strelow as the senior ripped a RBI single to right pulling the Gophers one run closer. The rally continued into the sixth when Dowell opened the frame hitting a single and scored from second on Sara Kinch's RBI single down the line in left cutting the margin to 4-3.
Behind an inning-ending double play turned by Chavez and the Gophers defense, momentum was in their favor heading into the final inning. For just the second time in the game, Minnesota went down in order suffering the 4-3 loss.
Pease threw the complete game allowing four runs on nine hits and struck out six. Dowell and Kinch each turned in multi-hit efforts at the plate.
UP NEXT
The Gophers are set for two Saturday morning games starting at 9 a.m. (CT) against UNI followed by a matchup with Wichita State from Daughtridge Stadium in Charlotte.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Leavitt, Emily (5-3)
L: Hailey Sanders (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Espalin, Lauren 1
HR: DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Dowell, Makenna 1
RBI: Espalin, Lauren 1 ; DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Dowell, Makenna 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Espalin, Lauren 2 ; DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Dowell, Makenna 1 ; Chavez, Kayla 1
HBP: Dowell, Makenna 1 ; Kinch, Sara 1
Batting:
3B: Taylor Hogan 1
HR: Madison Parks 1 ; Brooke Snider 1
RBI: Madison Parks 2 ; Brooke Snider 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Madison Parks 1 ; Kylee Sanders 1 ; Brooke Snider 1 ; Taylor Hogan 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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