University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 22
2:00 PM
University of Minnesota
20-18-1, 6-7
13
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Maryland
24-19, 10-5
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5
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Maryland
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Minnesota
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Minnesota Offense Shines in Run-Rule Win over Terps
4/22/2022 5:45:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - It was an offensive outburst for the Minnesota softball team in a commanding, 13-1 victory over Maryland Friday afternoon from Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Eight players recorded at least one hit as the Gophers scored in every inning of the run-rule win.
Sara Kinch and Chloe Evans each tallied two hits and three RBI powering the Maroon and Gold (20-18-1 overall, 6-7 B1G), while Sydney Strelow and Megan Dray reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Emily Leavitt tossed a gem allowing five hits over the complete game and surrendered only an unearned run.
After the Minnesota defense stranded two Maryland runners in scoring position to start the game, the home side scored four times to take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Kinch delivered a bases-clearing double as the Gophers capitalized on three walks and two hit batters during the frame. Lauren Espalin opened with a walk and Evans added a one-out single before Natalie DenHartog was hit-by-pitch loading the bases for Kinch.
The margin stretched to 6-0 in the second as Ellee Jensen and DenHartog hit singles and moved into scoring position on a ground out. A Strelow single with two outs plated both runners as the junior came through. The Gophers had even more chances to break the game open leaving the bases loaded in both of the first two innings.
The Terps got an unearned run back in the third, but it was all Minnesota in the bottom half of the frame striking for six runs as the advantage swelled to 12-1. Back-to-back walks for Espalin and Jensen on nine total pitches beginning the inning put two on for Evans, who stepped up and launched her eighth home run of the year. Kinch doubled with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch before Strelow drew her second free pass of the day as the Gophers had runners on the corners. Makenna Dowell laced a RBI single back up the middle as the rally continued and Dray followed by bringing home two on a single to the gap in left center as Minnesota moved ahead by double digits.
The Gophers defense posted another zero on the board and Emily Hansen drew a pinch-hit walk starting the fourth. After Espalin reentered the game to run and moved to second, Delanie Cox smashed a RBI double to the wall in right center pushing the lead to 13-1.
Leavitt and the defense needed just 11 pitches in the top of the fifth to put the game away on three outs that stayed in the infield. The freshman pitcher forced 11 ground ball outs for her ninth win of the season.
Up Next
The Gophers and Terps continue the weekend series Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. live on B1G+. It will be a special day at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium as Minnesota is set to retire the jersey of former All-American Gretchen Larson (1980-83) in a pre-game ceremony.
Sara Kinch and Chloe Evans each tallied two hits and three RBI powering the Maroon and Gold (20-18-1 overall, 6-7 B1G), while Sydney Strelow and Megan Dray reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Emily Leavitt tossed a gem allowing five hits over the complete game and surrendered only an unearned run.
After the Minnesota defense stranded two Maryland runners in scoring position to start the game, the home side scored four times to take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Kinch delivered a bases-clearing double as the Gophers capitalized on three walks and two hit batters during the frame. Lauren Espalin opened with a walk and Evans added a one-out single before Natalie DenHartog was hit-by-pitch loading the bases for Kinch.
The margin stretched to 6-0 in the second as Ellee Jensen and DenHartog hit singles and moved into scoring position on a ground out. A Strelow single with two outs plated both runners as the junior came through. The Gophers had even more chances to break the game open leaving the bases loaded in both of the first two innings.
The Terps got an unearned run back in the third, but it was all Minnesota in the bottom half of the frame striking for six runs as the advantage swelled to 12-1. Back-to-back walks for Espalin and Jensen on nine total pitches beginning the inning put two on for Evans, who stepped up and launched her eighth home run of the year. Kinch doubled with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch before Strelow drew her second free pass of the day as the Gophers had runners on the corners. Makenna Dowell laced a RBI single back up the middle as the rally continued and Dray followed by bringing home two on a single to the gap in left center as Minnesota moved ahead by double digits.
The Gophers defense posted another zero on the board and Emily Hansen drew a pinch-hit walk starting the fourth. After Espalin reentered the game to run and moved to second, Delanie Cox smashed a RBI double to the wall in right center pushing the lead to 13-1.
Leavitt and the defense needed just 11 pitches in the top of the fifth to put the game away on three outs that stayed in the infield. The freshman pitcher forced 11 ground ball outs for her ninth win of the season.
Up Next
The Gophers and Terps continue the weekend series Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. live on B1G+. It will be a special day at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium as Minnesota is set to retire the jersey of former All-American Gretchen Larson (1980-83) in a pre-game ceremony.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Leavitt, Emily (9-8)
L: Schlotterbeck, Trin (11-11)
Batting:
2B: McFarland, Jaeda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Goff, Kiley 1
SB: Borkowski, Merissa 1
CS: Davis, Kamryn 1
Batting:
2B: Cox, Delanie 1 ; Kinch, Sara 2
HR: Evans, Chloe 1
RBI: Evans, Chloe 3 ; Cox, Delanie 1 ; Kinch, Sara 3 ; Strelow, Sydney 2 ; Dowell, Makenna 1 ; Dray, Megan 2 ; Chavez, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Espalin, Lauren 3 ; Jensen, Ellee 2 ; Evans, Chloe 2 ; DenHartog, Natalie 2 ; Kinch, Sara 2 ; Strelow, Sydney 1 ; Dowell, Makenna 1
HBP: DenHartog, Natalie 1 ; Chavez, Kayla 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
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