University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, May 7
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Take Down Huskers in 12 Innings
5/7/2022 10:15:00 PM | Baseball
Boston Merila hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota baseball team took down the Nebraska Cornhuskers 9-8 in 12 innings on Saturday night at Siebert Field.
The 'U' fought back from a pair of two-run deficits to tie the game at 5-5 after six innings and a three-run deficit to tie it at 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth. A walk-off single by Boston Merila in the bottom of the 12th scored Drew Stahl to plate the game-winning run.
Gophers (13-31, 3-14 Big Ten) left-hander Tom Skoro pitched 4.2 innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out three. Nebraska's (19-26, 7-10 Big Ten) Emmett Olson (1-2) went 5.0 innings, striking out six and giving up seven hits and four earned runs.
Minnesota was led offensively by Boston Merila (3-for-6) and Kyle Bork (2-for-5), who each had two RBI. Matt Anderson paced the Nebraska offense by going 3-for-7 with two RBI.
Nebraska put the pressure on Minnesota's defense from the getgo, scoring two runs in the first inning of a pair of singles, two walks and an error from Noah Berghammer.
The Gophers would respond immediately, tallying three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. Bateman and Merila started the inning off with singles before advancing to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Kelly. Bateman scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch, which also advanced Merila to third. After walks from Noah Berghammer and Chase Stanke, Kyle Bork hit a roller to short for an infield single. After the ball deflected off the shortstop with a short hop, Berghammer came around to score from second to put his team up 3-2.
Senior right-hander J.P. Massey ran into trouble again in the second inning. After hitting the first batter, he surrendered a base hit to NU leadoff man Cam Chick. Massey tallied one more strikeout and induced a fielder's choice, but a two-out RBI single by Max Anderson chased him from the game after just 1.2 innings. Skoro would replace him and get the Gophers out of the inning, but not before an RBI single from Luke Banjoff put the visitors up 4-3.
NU would score its next run in the top of the third, a solo home run from Colby Gomes to deep left field. The Gophers got that one back in the bottom of the third, getting an RBI double down the right field line from Drew Stahl, scoring Kyle Bork from first base.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the 'U' tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth. Infield singles by Bork and Andrew Wilhite in addition to a walk from Bateman loaded the bases with one out. Merila then drove in Bork with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game at 5-5.
The tied score would be short-lived, however, as the Huskers pushed across three runs to go up 8-5. The leadoff hitter reached on a fielding error by Berghammer before Gomes flew out to right, ending Skoro's day on the mound. George Klassen replaced Skoro, but ran into trouble when he walked and hit the next two batters to load the bases. He was removed from the game and replaced by left-hander Noah DeLuga, who surrendered a two-run single to Chick, giving NU back the lead. An RBI groundout boosted the lead up to 8-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Minnesota got a couple runners on base with one out on a fielding error and a walk. An errant throw down to first by NU's catcher sailed into the right field corner, scoring both Drew Stahl and Jake Larson to cut the lead to 8-7.
The Gophers tied it up in the bottom of the ninth and sent the game to extra innings. Jack Kelly started off the inning with a single before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Swenson. After a walk by Berghammer, Stanke delivered a clutch RBI single to tie the game at 8-8.
With a man on second and two outs in the top of the tenth, NU's Gomes singled to right, but a perfect throw from Jack Kelly in right field nailed the runner at home who represented the leading run to end the inning.
After both teams were held scoreless in the 10th and 11th innings, Minnesota's Josh Culliver (1-1) set down the Huskers in order in the top of the 12th to set the stage for Merila's walk-off heroics. Stahl singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a groundout by Sweeny. After Bateman was intentionally walked, Merila ripped a line drive through the left side and Stahl came around to score the game-winning run.
This was Minnesota's first walk-off win since May 23, 2021, a 9-8 win over Purdue at Siebert Field.
UP NEXT
Minnesota and Nebraska will play the series finale at 1 p.m CT tomorrow at Siebert Field.
The 'U' fought back from a pair of two-run deficits to tie the game at 5-5 after six innings and a three-run deficit to tie it at 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth. A walk-off single by Boston Merila in the bottom of the 12th scored Drew Stahl to plate the game-winning run.
Gophers (13-31, 3-14 Big Ten) left-hander Tom Skoro pitched 4.2 innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out three. Nebraska's (19-26, 7-10 Big Ten) Emmett Olson (1-2) went 5.0 innings, striking out six and giving up seven hits and four earned runs.
Minnesota was led offensively by Boston Merila (3-for-6) and Kyle Bork (2-for-5), who each had two RBI. Matt Anderson paced the Nebraska offense by going 3-for-7 with two RBI.
Nebraska put the pressure on Minnesota's defense from the getgo, scoring two runs in the first inning of a pair of singles, two walks and an error from Noah Berghammer.
The Gophers would respond immediately, tallying three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. Bateman and Merila started the inning off with singles before advancing to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Jack Kelly. Bateman scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch, which also advanced Merila to third. After walks from Noah Berghammer and Chase Stanke, Kyle Bork hit a roller to short for an infield single. After the ball deflected off the shortstop with a short hop, Berghammer came around to score from second to put his team up 3-2.
Senior right-hander J.P. Massey ran into trouble again in the second inning. After hitting the first batter, he surrendered a base hit to NU leadoff man Cam Chick. Massey tallied one more strikeout and induced a fielder's choice, but a two-out RBI single by Max Anderson chased him from the game after just 1.2 innings. Skoro would replace him and get the Gophers out of the inning, but not before an RBI single from Luke Banjoff put the visitors up 4-3.
NU would score its next run in the top of the third, a solo home run from Colby Gomes to deep left field. The Gophers got that one back in the bottom of the third, getting an RBI double down the right field line from Drew Stahl, scoring Kyle Bork from first base.
After both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the 'U' tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth. Infield singles by Bork and Andrew Wilhite in addition to a walk from Bateman loaded the bases with one out. Merila then drove in Bork with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game at 5-5.
The tied score would be short-lived, however, as the Huskers pushed across three runs to go up 8-5. The leadoff hitter reached on a fielding error by Berghammer before Gomes flew out to right, ending Skoro's day on the mound. George Klassen replaced Skoro, but ran into trouble when he walked and hit the next two batters to load the bases. He was removed from the game and replaced by left-hander Noah DeLuga, who surrendered a two-run single to Chick, giving NU back the lead. An RBI groundout boosted the lead up to 8-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, Minnesota got a couple runners on base with one out on a fielding error and a walk. An errant throw down to first by NU's catcher sailed into the right field corner, scoring both Drew Stahl and Jake Larson to cut the lead to 8-7.
The Gophers tied it up in the bottom of the ninth and sent the game to extra innings. Jack Kelly started off the inning with a single before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Riley Swenson. After a walk by Berghammer, Stanke delivered a clutch RBI single to tie the game at 8-8.
With a man on second and two outs in the top of the tenth, NU's Gomes singled to right, but a perfect throw from Jack Kelly in right field nailed the runner at home who represented the leading run to end the inning.
After both teams were held scoreless in the 10th and 11th innings, Minnesota's Josh Culliver (1-1) set down the Huskers in order in the top of the 12th to set the stage for Merila's walk-off heroics. Stahl singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a groundout by Sweeny. After Bateman was intentionally walked, Merila ripped a line drive through the left side and Stahl came around to score the game-winning run.
This was Minnesota's first walk-off win since May 23, 2021, a 9-8 win over Purdue at Siebert Field.
UP NEXT
Minnesota and Nebraska will play the series finale at 1 p.m CT tomorrow at Siebert Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Culliver, Josh (1-1)
L: Bragg, B. (1-6)
Batting:
2B: Anderson, M. 1 ; Cervantes, E 1
HR: Gomes, C. 1
RBI: Chick, C. 2 ; Anglim, G. 1 ; Anderson, M. 2 ; Banjoff, L. 1 ; Gomes, C. 1
SH: Cervantes, E 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anglim, G. 1 ; Everitt, G. 1 ; Anderson, M. 1 ; Jackson, C. 1 ; Gomes, C. 1 ; Sartori, L. 1 ; Cervantes, E 2
SB: Anglim, G. 1 ; Jackson, C. 2 ; Sartori, L. 1
HBP: Jackson, C. 1 ; Cervantes, E 2
Batting:
2B: Kelly, Jack 1 ; Stahl, Drew 1
RBI: Merila, Boston 2 ; Stanke, Chase 1 ; Bork, Kyle 2 ; Stahl, Drew 1
SH: Kelly, Jack 1 ; Swenson, Riley 1
SF: Merila, Boston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Merila, Boston 1 ; Kelly, Jack 1 ; Berghammer, Noah 1 ; Bork, Kyle 2 ; Stahl, Drew 2 ; Larson, Jake 1
SB: Bateman, Brett 1
CS: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Swenson, Riley 1
Game Leaders
AB
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RBI
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3b/rf
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R
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H
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RBI
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AB
6
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
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3B
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RHP
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INF
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C
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OF
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