University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
3-8
West Virginia
7-2
Gophers Fall 5-4 to No. 25 WVU
3/4/2022 10:30:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers were defeated 5-4 by the No. 25 West Virginia Mountaineers to open the Cambria College Classic on Friday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Senior catcher Chase Stanke paced the Minnesota offense with a 2-for-4 night at the dish, hitting his conference-leading sixth home run of the year. Easton Bertrand went 2-for-4 with an inside-the-park home run and an RBI single.
Junior right-hander Sam Ireland started on the mound and was sensational once again, striking out eight Mountaineers and allowing two runs in 6.0 innings. In both the first and third innings WVU had runners at second and third with two outs, but both times the Gophers ace ended the frames with strikeouts.
Stanke started the scoring with his sixth home run of the season, an opposite field shot to left in the first inning to put the Gophers up 1-0. The 'U' would add another run in the fourth inning after Stanke doubled, Sweeny singled to right and Bertrand blooped a base hit just over the first baseman's head to put the home team up 2-0.
The Mountaineers scored their first runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning when designated hitter McGwire Holbrook hit a two-out, two-run home run to center, tying the game at 2-2.
Easton Bertrand helped his team retake the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with an inside-the-park home run. The redshirt senior drove a shot to the gap in right center and the center fielder dove and came up empty. Bertrand raced around the bases and beat the throw home, sliding in safely to put the Gophers up 3-2. The Gophers would add one more in the sixth after an infield single and an error by WVU allowed Andrew Wilhite to come around and score.
WVU would come back to tie the game in the top of the seventh after stringing together four hits and stealing two bases off of freshman pitcher Sam Malec.
Minnesota was held scoreless in both the seventh and eighth innings while sophomore reliever Will Semb blanked the Mountaineers in the top of the eighth. WVU would break through in the top of the ninth, however. A leadoff single and a fielder's choice advanced the runner to second with one out. A pinch hit, RBI single to left center would score the eventual game-winning run from second base as WVU went on to win, 5-4.
WVU's Beau Lowery (1-0) earned the win and Jacob Watters brought home the save after shutting down the Gophers 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Notes:
-Chase Stanke (6 HR) is one of just five players in the country to have hit six-or-more home runs this season. This week Stanke has hit three home runs, two doubles and has driven in six RBI.
-Sam Ireland (2-0) has allowed no more than two runs in each of his three starts in 2022. He's now gone five consecutive starts allowing two-or-fewer earned runs.
-Easton Bertrand continued his four-game hitting streak, now hitting safely in nine of 11 games this year. He's 8-for-11 this week with two doubles and two home runs.
-The Gophers rank tied for seventh nationally in home runs this season with 18 through 11 games.
-Minnesota hadn't played a top-25 ranked team since playing No. 25 Michigan on April 18, 2021.
NEXT UP:
Minnesota hosts Kansas at 7 p.m. tomorrow night on day two of the Cambria College Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lowery, B. (2-0)
L: Semb, Will (0-2)
S: Watters, J. (1)
Batting:
2B: Barry, B. 1
HR: Holbrook, M. 1
RBI: Scott, V. 1 ; Holbrook, M. 2 ; Dowdell, K. 1 ; Blasick, N. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, A. 1 ; Wetherholt 2 ; Scott, V. 1 ; Holbrook, M. 1
SB: Scott, V. 1 ; Holbrook, M. 2 ; Abernathy, B 1 ; Dowdell, K. 1 ; Barry, B. 1 ; Cox, T. 2
CS: Abernathy, B 1
Batting:
2B: Stanke, Chase 1
HR: Stanke, Chase 1 ; Bertrand, Easton 1
RBI: Stanke, Chase 1 ; Bertrand, Easton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Stanke, Chase 2 ; Bertrand, Easton 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
SB: Wilhite, Andrew 1
HBP: Stanke, Chase 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
PO: Sweeny, Ronald 1
