University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, April 2
Piscataway, NJ
10:00 AM
University of Minnesota
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Rutgers
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Swept in Doubleheader by Rutgers
4/2/2022 4:48:00 PM | Baseball
Minnesota fell 11-2 and 9-2 on Saturday
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team dropped both games of the doubleheader on Saturday against Rutgers.
Rutgers took game one, 11-2, and game two, 9-2. With the two losses Saturday, Minnesota falls to 8-18 (0-3 Big Ten) and Rutgers moves to 21-6 (5-1 Big Ten).
Game One
The Scarlet Knights jumped ahead early with two-out RBI singles off Gophers starter J.P. Massey (2-3) to go up 2-0 after three innings. RU broke the game open in the fourth inning, plating seven runs to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The inning started with a leadoff walk and a single before Massey got the first out on a fielders choice to third base. The next hitter, Mike Nyisztor, singled to left, scoring the first run of the inning. Massey was chased from the game after walking Lasko to load the bases.
Senior right-hander Josh Culliver replaced Massey but couldn't get out of the jam. Consecutive two-run doubles by Santa Maria and Cimillo plated four more. Freshman left-hander Tucker Novotny replaced Culliver and eventually got the Gophers out of the inning, but not before RU plated two more on a fielders choice and a double steal of second and home with runners on the corners.
RU would add two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and a solo home run while Minnesota scored its first run on an RBI single by Chase Stanke. Brady Counsell hit a solo home run in the eighth, his first career collegiate home run. Counsell led the Gophers offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Minnesota had six hits as a team.
Freshman Sam Malec (2.1) and redshirt junior Michael Gurka (0.2) pitched the final three innings for the Gophers, holding RU scoreless.
Massey took the loss on the mound after striking out five, walking four and giving up six earned runs in 3.1 innings. RU's Nathan Florence (4-1) went 6.0 innings, striking out four and giving up one earned run.
Game Two
Redshirt junior right-hander Aidan Maldonado (1-3) went 3.2 innings, striking out five. He was charged with seven earned runs and four walks before leaving in the fourth. Offensively, Minnesota tallied five hits, with the big blow coming from Andrew Wilhite (1-for-3), who hit a two-run home run.
Rutgers scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning. After a walk and a single put runners on first and third with two outs, a wild pitch from Maldonado plated RU's leadoff hitter, Lasko.
Minnesota took its first lead of the series in the top of the third inning when Andrew Wilhite hit a two-run home run to center field, his second long ball of the year. Maldonado worked out of a pair of jams in the second and third innings to keep the Gophers ahead after three.
Rutgers' big inning came in the fourth once again, where it plated six runs, including five with two outs. The frame started with a ground-rule double by Josh Kuroda-Grauer, who then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. He would score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. With runners on first and second, Maldonado struck out Santa Maria for the second out. After walking the next hitter, RU's DiGeorgio hit a ground ball to third base, which was fielded by Jake Larson with a diving stop. A slight hesitation by Larson allowed runners to score from second and third as his throw to the plate was not in time to nab the runner from second.
An infield single by RU's Cimillo loaded the bases once again. The Gophers had a chance to get out of the inning when first baseman Chris Brito popped a ball into short left field, but a collision between shortstop Drew Stahl and left fielder Andrew Wilhite allowed the ball to fall safety, clearing the bases and putting the Scarlet Knights up 7-2.
Minnesota went down in order in the fourth through sixth innings. RU plated its eighth run of the afternoon on a two-out double by Brito in the sixth. The Scarlet Knights would tack on one more in the bottom of the eighth to seal the 9-2 win.
The Gophers had five of their six hits in the first three innings. From the fourth inning-on, Minnesota had just two men reach base (single and a walk).
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host North Dakota State on Tuesday afternoon at Siebert Field in its on-campus home opener. The Gophers will begin their Big Ten home slate next weekend against Maryland.
Rutgers took game one, 11-2, and game two, 9-2. With the two losses Saturday, Minnesota falls to 8-18 (0-3 Big Ten) and Rutgers moves to 21-6 (5-1 Big Ten).
Game One
The Scarlet Knights jumped ahead early with two-out RBI singles off Gophers starter J.P. Massey (2-3) to go up 2-0 after three innings. RU broke the game open in the fourth inning, plating seven runs to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The inning started with a leadoff walk and a single before Massey got the first out on a fielders choice to third base. The next hitter, Mike Nyisztor, singled to left, scoring the first run of the inning. Massey was chased from the game after walking Lasko to load the bases.
Senior right-hander Josh Culliver replaced Massey but couldn't get out of the jam. Consecutive two-run doubles by Santa Maria and Cimillo plated four more. Freshman left-hander Tucker Novotny replaced Culliver and eventually got the Gophers out of the inning, but not before RU plated two more on a fielders choice and a double steal of second and home with runners on the corners.
RU would add two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and a solo home run while Minnesota scored its first run on an RBI single by Chase Stanke. Brady Counsell hit a solo home run in the eighth, his first career collegiate home run. Counsell led the Gophers offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Minnesota had six hits as a team.
Freshman Sam Malec (2.1) and redshirt junior Michael Gurka (0.2) pitched the final three innings for the Gophers, holding RU scoreless.
Massey took the loss on the mound after striking out five, walking four and giving up six earned runs in 3.1 innings. RU's Nathan Florence (4-1) went 6.0 innings, striking out four and giving up one earned run.
Game Two
Redshirt junior right-hander Aidan Maldonado (1-3) went 3.2 innings, striking out five. He was charged with seven earned runs and four walks before leaving in the fourth. Offensively, Minnesota tallied five hits, with the big blow coming from Andrew Wilhite (1-for-3), who hit a two-run home run.
Rutgers scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning. After a walk and a single put runners on first and third with two outs, a wild pitch from Maldonado plated RU's leadoff hitter, Lasko.
Minnesota took its first lead of the series in the top of the third inning when Andrew Wilhite hit a two-run home run to center field, his second long ball of the year. Maldonado worked out of a pair of jams in the second and third innings to keep the Gophers ahead after three.
Rutgers' big inning came in the fourth once again, where it plated six runs, including five with two outs. The frame started with a ground-rule double by Josh Kuroda-Grauer, who then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. He would score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. With runners on first and second, Maldonado struck out Santa Maria for the second out. After walking the next hitter, RU's DiGeorgio hit a ground ball to third base, which was fielded by Jake Larson with a diving stop. A slight hesitation by Larson allowed runners to score from second and third as his throw to the plate was not in time to nab the runner from second.
An infield single by RU's Cimillo loaded the bases once again. The Gophers had a chance to get out of the inning when first baseman Chris Brito popped a ball into short left field, but a collision between shortstop Drew Stahl and left fielder Andrew Wilhite allowed the ball to fall safety, clearing the bases and putting the Scarlet Knights up 7-2.
Minnesota went down in order in the fourth through sixth innings. RU plated its eighth run of the afternoon on a two-out double by Brito in the sixth. The Scarlet Knights would tack on one more in the bottom of the eighth to seal the 9-2 win.
The Gophers had five of their six hits in the first three innings. From the fourth inning-on, Minnesota had just two men reach base (single and a walk).
UP NEXT
Minnesota will host North Dakota State on Tuesday afternoon at Siebert Field in its on-campus home opener. The Gophers will begin their Big Ten home slate next weekend against Maryland.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Florence (4-1)
L: Massey, J.P. (2-3)
S: French (2)
Batting:
HR: Counsell, Brady 1
RBI: Counsell, Brady 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Counsell, Brady 2
Batting:
2B: Santa Maria 1 ; Cimillo 1 ; Nyisztor 1
HR: Cimillo 1
RBI: Santa Maria 3 ; Cimillo 3 ; Sleight 1 ; Brito 1 ; KurodaGrauer 1 ; Nyisztor 1
SF: Santa Maria 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lasko 1 ; Santa Maria 2 ; Cimillo 2 ; Sleight 1 ; Brito 1 ; Callaghan 1 ; KurodaGrauer 1 ; Nyisztor 2
SB: Sleight 1 ; Brito 1 ; KurodaGrauer 1 ; Nyisztor 1
HBP: Brito 2
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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