Minnesota Ignites for 17 Runs in Victory over Nicholls

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AUSTIN, Texas - Gopher softball's offense ignited for 17 runs on 18 hits Friday afternoon in a 17-9, run-rule victory over Nicholls in the opening day of the Bevo Classic at Red & Charline McCombs Field.

Emily Hansen's career-high fourth hit of the afternoon came in walk-off fashion as her RBI single ended the short-inning win for Minnesota (12-10 overall) in the bottom of the sixth. The swing also set a new career best for the senior recording her fifth RBI of the game and she reached base five times. Chloe Evans added three hits, three runs and four RBI, while Lauren Espalin went 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.

It only took five pitches for the Gophers (12-10 overall) to get on the scoreboard as Espalin sent a solo shot through the wind in right center for her first home run of the season and a quick, 1-0 advantage. Ellee Jensen followed with an infield single and Makenna Dowell added a one-out walk before Evans brought home one run hitting a RBI single. Hansen drove a two-run double to the gap in left center and Megan Dray lined a RBI double off the wall in left pushing Minnesota in front 5-0.

The Colonels were able to score six times in the top of the second behind four hits and capitalized on a walk and an error moving in front, 6-5. Three hits in the bottom half of the frame allowed the Gophers to regain the lead, 7-6, as Evans delivered a two-run double after singles by Espalin and Natalie DenHartog. NSU hit a one-out triple and scored on a flare to center evening the score in the third, but Minnesota responded in a big way its next time at the plate.

A three-run home run by DenHartog, the 50th of her career, highlighted a five-run inning for the Gophers in the third, all of which crossed home with two outs. Evans and Hansen each added RBI hits during the outburst that pushed the designated home team to a 12-7 lead. The Colonels scored a pair of two-out runs during the fifth frame closing the gap to three.

Minnesota's offense continued to dominate as Dowell and Evans walked opening the bottom of the fifth. A Hansen single scored Dowell before Rylie Costa and Sydney Strelow added run-scoring outs. Espalin's two-out, RBI double plated the fourth run of the inning as the Gophers stretched their margin to 16-9. After pitcher Autumn Pease retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, a Dowell double put the winning run into scoring position. She sprinted home on Hansen's RBI single sealing the run-rule win, 17-9.

Pease picked up the win throwing the final three frames allowing two runs on three hits and struck out four. Emily Leavitt threw the first three innings giving up two earned runs.

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Minnesota continues the weekend in Texas Saturday with two games slated for 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. battling Drake and Texas, respectively, live on Longhorn Network.

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