University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 5
Tulsa, OK
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
10-6
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DePaul
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7
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DePaul
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Minnesota
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Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Minnesota Offense Powers Two Wins Saturday
3/5/2022 8:00:00 PM | Softball
DenHartog blasts four home runs leading Gophers in Tulsa
TULSA - Natalie DenHartog could not be stopped Saturday leading the Minnesota softball team to a 7-6 win over DePaul and a 5-4 victory against host Tulsa Saturday from Collins Family Softball Complex opening the OSU-TU Invitational.
DenHartog tallied four of the Gophers' five home runs for the day and Autumn Pease picked up the win in both games.
Game One
DenHartog's bat was the difference for Minnesota delivering a 3-for-3 effort with four RBI and three runs scored in a 7-6 win over DePaul. The senior belted two home runs and added the winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Lauren Espalin got the offense started hitting a lead-off double that nearly cleared the wall in left center. DenHartog gave the Gophers an early 2-0 advantage crushing a home run over the scoreboard in center. Chloe Evans made it a 3-0 lead as she reached on a walk and scampered to a vacant home plate from first on an errant DePaul throw.
The Blue Demons struck for five runs in the top of the third hitting a solo home run and added a two-out grand slam. DenHartog launched a towering home run inside the foul pole in left for her second long ball in as many at bats pulling Minnesota within one, 5-4. DePaul extended its margin to two, 6-4, plating a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
The Gophers rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning started on a single by Kayla Chavez. After the Blue Demons intentionally walked DenHartog and hit Makenna Dowell with a pitch, Evans made them pay ripping a bases-loaded, two-run double tying the score, 6-6. Minnesota found the go-ahead run on a two-out stretch during the sixth frame as Espalin doubled to the wall and scored on a DenHartog flare.
Pease shut down the Blue Devils in order securing the win, 7-6, as she tossed 2.1 perfect innings in relief. DenHartog and Espalin combined for five of the team's eight hits.
Game Two
The Gophers used a similar script facing Tulsa as DenHartog hit two solo home runs and Sydney Strelow added a long ball sparking the offense, while Pease and the defense held off the host in the one-run win.
DenHartog did not waste any time putting the Gophers on the board against the Golden Hurricane. She belted a solo shot off the top of the scoreboard on the second pitch she saw in the first inning giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The lead doubled in the second as Evans drew a four-pitch walk to open the frame and later scored on a wild pitch.
Tulsa hit solo home runs in the second and third to even the score, 2-2, until Strelow broke the short-lived tie. The junior dropped the barrel of the bat and sent a two-out home run to the opposite field helping the Gophers take a 3-2 margin.
Minnesota pushed back to a two-run lead on the fourth home run of the day for DenHartog as she hit a solo blast with one out in the fifth. Tulsa got one run back in the bottom of the fifth hitting a two-out double pulling back within one. The Gophers tacked on another run in the sixth, scoring for the fifth time in six frames, as Chavez delivered a RBI single scoring pinch runner MacKenzie Denson from second. The back-and-forth scoring continued as the Golden Hurricane capitalized on an error later that inning to make it a 5-4 game into the seventh.
Tulsa got the tying run on base behind a one-out bunt single, but Minnesota turned a game-ending double play to seal the victory. Pease won her second game of the day throwing the complete game and allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out six. Seven different Gophers recorded a hit during the contest and the team drew six free bases.
Up Next
The Gophers head to Stillwater, Okla., for back-to-back games Sunday against (RV) Stanford and No. 8 Oklahoma State starting at 12:30 p.m.
DenHartog tallied four of the Gophers' five home runs for the day and Autumn Pease picked up the win in both games.
Game One
DenHartog's bat was the difference for Minnesota delivering a 3-for-3 effort with four RBI and three runs scored in a 7-6 win over DePaul. The senior belted two home runs and added the winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Lauren Espalin got the offense started hitting a lead-off double that nearly cleared the wall in left center. DenHartog gave the Gophers an early 2-0 advantage crushing a home run over the scoreboard in center. Chloe Evans made it a 3-0 lead as she reached on a walk and scampered to a vacant home plate from first on an errant DePaul throw.
The Blue Demons struck for five runs in the top of the third hitting a solo home run and added a two-out grand slam. DenHartog launched a towering home run inside the foul pole in left for her second long ball in as many at bats pulling Minnesota within one, 5-4. DePaul extended its margin to two, 6-4, plating a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
The Gophers rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning started on a single by Kayla Chavez. After the Blue Demons intentionally walked DenHartog and hit Makenna Dowell with a pitch, Evans made them pay ripping a bases-loaded, two-run double tying the score, 6-6. Minnesota found the go-ahead run on a two-out stretch during the sixth frame as Espalin doubled to the wall and scored on a DenHartog flare.
Pease shut down the Blue Devils in order securing the win, 7-6, as she tossed 2.1 perfect innings in relief. DenHartog and Espalin combined for five of the team's eight hits.
Game Two
The Gophers used a similar script facing Tulsa as DenHartog hit two solo home runs and Sydney Strelow added a long ball sparking the offense, while Pease and the defense held off the host in the one-run win.
DenHartog did not waste any time putting the Gophers on the board against the Golden Hurricane. She belted a solo shot off the top of the scoreboard on the second pitch she saw in the first inning giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The lead doubled in the second as Evans drew a four-pitch walk to open the frame and later scored on a wild pitch.
Tulsa hit solo home runs in the second and third to even the score, 2-2, until Strelow broke the short-lived tie. The junior dropped the barrel of the bat and sent a two-out home run to the opposite field helping the Gophers take a 3-2 margin.
Minnesota pushed back to a two-run lead on the fourth home run of the day for DenHartog as she hit a solo blast with one out in the fifth. Tulsa got one run back in the bottom of the fifth hitting a two-out double pulling back within one. The Gophers tacked on another run in the sixth, scoring for the fifth time in six frames, as Chavez delivered a RBI single scoring pinch runner MacKenzie Denson from second. The back-and-forth scoring continued as the Golden Hurricane capitalized on an error later that inning to make it a 5-4 game into the seventh.
Tulsa got the tying run on base behind a one-out bunt single, but Minnesota turned a game-ending double play to seal the victory. Pease won her second game of the day throwing the complete game and allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out six. Seven different Gophers recorded a hit during the contest and the team drew six free bases.
Up Next
The Gophers head to Stillwater, Okla., for back-to-back games Sunday against (RV) Stanford and No. 8 Oklahoma State starting at 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pease, Autumn (5-3)
L: BROWN, Makenzie (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Dray, Megan 1
HR: DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Strelow, Sydney 1
RBI: DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Strelow, Sydney 1 ; Chavez, Kayla 1
SH: Evans, Chloe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Evans, Chloe 1 ; Denson, MacKenzie 1 ; Strelow, Sydney 1
HBP: Jensen, Ellee 1 ; Dray, Megan 2
Batting:
2B: NORWOOD, Kylie 1
HR: MORGAN, Haley 1 ; EDWARDS, Imani 1
RBI: MORGAN, Haley 1 ; NORWOOD, Kylie 1 ; EDWARDS, Imani 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MORGAN, Haley 1 ; JONES, Abby 1 ; EDWARDS, Imani 1 ; DAVIS, Callie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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