University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, May 8
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Photo by: Bjorn Franke
Berghammer Blasts Game-Winning Home Run to Beat Huskers
5/8/2022 4:10:00 PM | Baseball
Aidan Maldonado struck out eight in 7.0 innings
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers took down the Nebraska Cornhuskers 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Siebert Field. Sunday's result helped the Gophers win their first Big Ten series since May 2019, when they took two of three from Northwestern.
With the teams tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, redshirt junior shortstop Noah Berghammer hit a towering home run over the left field fence to put his team ahead for good. It was the first home run of his collegiate career. An RBI groundout in the eighth from Chase Stanke gave the 'U' some insurance heading into the ninth and the defense took it from there.
Minnesota (14-31, 4-14 Big Ten) right-hander Aidan Maldonado (2-3) went 7.0 innings, punching out eight while allowing just five hits and one earned run. Left-hander Jack Liffrig appeared in relief, finishing the final 2.0 innings by striking out two and facing the minimum number of Huskers (19-27, 7-11 Big Ten) hitters. Liffrig also picked up the save, the first of his season.
Offensively, Boston Merila paced the Gophers with a pair of doubles while Berghammer delivered the big blow with his solo home run.
After a scoreless first 3.5 innings, the Gophers struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Boston Merila drilled a double to deep left center to start the inning. A groundout to first by Jack Kelly moved him to third with one out. Designated hitter Riley Swenson stepped up to the plate and drove Merila home with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, putting the home team up 1-0.
The Huskers answered back in the top of the fifth, getting consecutive doubles from Core Jackson and Gabe Swansen to plate their only run.
Minnesota had golden opportunities to score in both the fifth and sixth innings. Drew Stahl hit a leadoff double in the fifth and ended up being stranded on third. In the sixth, a double from Merila and a Kelly walk combined with a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs. The inning ended with a Chase Stanke groundout, stranding both runners.
Redshirt junior shortstop Noah Berghammer made sure no one was left stranded in the bottom of the seventh when he blasted a solo home run, the first of his collegiate career, far over the left field fence to put his team up 2-1.
The 'U' would scratch off one more run in the bottom of the eighth to go up 3-1. Merila and Kelly reached base and advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Riley Swenson. A ground ball to second base scored Merila for the final run of the afternoon.
Left-hander Jack Liffrig entered the game in the top of the eighth, striking out the first two Huskers batters before getting the third to flyout to center field for a 1-2-3 inning. He retired the first batter before walking the second in the top of the ninth. A 6-4-3 double play ended the game and the Gophers took home a 3-1 win.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will travel to Indiana for a series with the Hoosiers next weekend in Bloomington, Ind.
With the teams tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, redshirt junior shortstop Noah Berghammer hit a towering home run over the left field fence to put his team ahead for good. It was the first home run of his collegiate career. An RBI groundout in the eighth from Chase Stanke gave the 'U' some insurance heading into the ninth and the defense took it from there.
Minnesota (14-31, 4-14 Big Ten) right-hander Aidan Maldonado (2-3) went 7.0 innings, punching out eight while allowing just five hits and one earned run. Left-hander Jack Liffrig appeared in relief, finishing the final 2.0 innings by striking out two and facing the minimum number of Huskers (19-27, 7-11 Big Ten) hitters. Liffrig also picked up the save, the first of his season.
Offensively, Boston Merila paced the Gophers with a pair of doubles while Berghammer delivered the big blow with his solo home run.
After a scoreless first 3.5 innings, the Gophers struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Boston Merila drilled a double to deep left center to start the inning. A groundout to first by Jack Kelly moved him to third with one out. Designated hitter Riley Swenson stepped up to the plate and drove Merila home with a sacrifice fly to deep right field, putting the home team up 1-0.
The Huskers answered back in the top of the fifth, getting consecutive doubles from Core Jackson and Gabe Swansen to plate their only run.
Minnesota had golden opportunities to score in both the fifth and sixth innings. Drew Stahl hit a leadoff double in the fifth and ended up being stranded on third. In the sixth, a double from Merila and a Kelly walk combined with a wild pitch put runners on second and third with two outs. The inning ended with a Chase Stanke groundout, stranding both runners.
Redshirt junior shortstop Noah Berghammer made sure no one was left stranded in the bottom of the seventh when he blasted a solo home run, the first of his collegiate career, far over the left field fence to put his team up 2-1.
The 'U' would scratch off one more run in the bottom of the eighth to go up 3-1. Merila and Kelly reached base and advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Riley Swenson. A ground ball to second base scored Merila for the final run of the afternoon.
Left-hander Jack Liffrig entered the game in the top of the eighth, striking out the first two Huskers batters before getting the third to flyout to center field for a 1-2-3 inning. He retired the first batter before walking the second in the top of the ninth. A 6-4-3 double play ended the game and the Gophers took home a 3-1 win.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will travel to Indiana for a series with the Hoosiers next weekend in Bloomington, Ind.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Maldonado, Aidan (2-3)
L: McCarville (3-5)
S: Liffrig, Jack (1)
Batting:
2B: Jackson, C. 1 ; Swansen, G. 1
RBI: Swansen, G. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, C. 1
SB: Jackson, C. 1
CS: Everitt, G. 1
Batting:
2B: Merila, Boston 2 ; Stahl, Drew 1 ; Wilhite, Andrew 1
HR: Berghammer, Noah 1
RBI: Swenson, Riley 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1 ; Berghammer, Noah 1
SH: Swenson, Riley 1
SF: Swenson, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Merila, Boston 2 ; Berghammer, Noah 1
CS: Stahl, Drew 1
HBP: Merila, Boston 1
Game Leaders
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RBI
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RBI
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AB
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R
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H
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RBI
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AB
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H
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RBI
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Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
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