Sunday, April 3
Evanston, Ill.
11 a.m. CT
Northwestern
10-20, 1-4
4
vs
8
Minnesota
24-9, 5-0
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Minnesota
0
3
0
2
3
0
0
8
9
2
Northwestern
0
1
0
3
0
0
0
4
5
1
Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
No. 21 Minnesota Takes First Game Sunday, 8-4
4/3/2016 11:58:00 AM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – In a game of rally responses, Northwestern cut a big deficit to No. 21 Minnesota down to a single run Sunday in the first game of a Sharon J. Drysdale Field doubleheader only to see the Gophers strike right back to take an 8-4 decision.
Northwestern now is 10-20 overall, 1-3 in the Big Ten. Minnesota improves to 24-9 on the season, 5-0 in the conference. The two teams conclude this series immediately with game three at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Freshman Kenzie Ellis got the start in the circle for the second game in a row against the Gophers, and Sunday morning fared much better in the early going. She worked around just a two-out walk with a strikeout in a scoreless top of the first.
In the bottom of the second, Minnesota put together a little two-out rally that became bigger when a two-out deep fly down the line in right was ruled to be fair, giving the Gophers a 3-0 lead on the home run.
Northwestern bounced back to score in the bottom of the second. Amy Letourneau was hit by the first pitch Minnesota starter Sara Groenewegen threw in the inning, then Alcy Bush joined her on base via a two-out walk. Brooke Marquez battled her way to a full count and fouled several pitches off before swinging and missing at a wild pitch in the dirt. She took off for first and the throw down sailed into right field, allowing Letourneau to come around and make it a 3-1 game heading to the third frame.
With the score the same in the top of the fourth, Minnesota loaded the bases with one out on a single, an error and another single that fell between four Wildcats in left-center field. A ball that missed by three hairs and some air on a full count forced in one run before an infield single brought in another, giving the Gophers a 5-1 lead. The next batter smoked a line drive toward short, where Andrea Filler leapt and snared it before racing to second to end the rally on an unassisted double play.
The play proved to be a catalyst when the #B1GCats put together a big rally in the bottom of the inning. Letourneau and Sammy Nettling each walked to start the frame, with Marissa Panko taking over on the base paths for Letourneau. Freshman Morgan Nelson then showed up and showed out, smashing a laser to center that left the park on a rope, bringing NU all the way back within a run, 5-4.
The shot was Nelson's fifth of the season.
In the top of the fifth, Minnesota got a leadoff solo home run and then put runners at the corners with no outs, leading to Kaley Winegarner entering the circle in relief. Both Gophers on base eventually made their way around to score, the second coming home on a sacrifice fly to give Minnesota a four-run lead back, 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Nelson got another rally started with a one-out double. She moved to third on a wild pitch during an eventual walk to Bush. With two outs, Groenewegen plunked Fran Strub with a pitch to load the bases, leading the Gophers to insert Nikki Anderson into the circle in relief. On the first pitch, Anderson got a comebacker to end the inning.
The Gophers ripped a leadoff double in the top of the seventh, but Winegarner immediately fanned the next two batters before getting a lineout to Strub in right. Then, in the bottom half of the frame, Krista Williams reached on a leadoff error. One out later, Letourneau ripped a single into left to reach base for the third time in the game, but the rally ended there.
Ellis (3-5) went four-plus innings in the start, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Winegarner went the final three innings, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Nelson led NU at the plate with her three-run home run and a double during a two-hit performance.
Northwestern now is 10-20 overall, 1-3 in the Big Ten. Minnesota improves to 24-9 on the season, 5-0 in the conference. The two teams conclude this series immediately with game three at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
Freshman Kenzie Ellis got the start in the circle for the second game in a row against the Gophers, and Sunday morning fared much better in the early going. She worked around just a two-out walk with a strikeout in a scoreless top of the first.
In the bottom of the second, Minnesota put together a little two-out rally that became bigger when a two-out deep fly down the line in right was ruled to be fair, giving the Gophers a 3-0 lead on the home run.
Northwestern bounced back to score in the bottom of the second. Amy Letourneau was hit by the first pitch Minnesota starter Sara Groenewegen threw in the inning, then Alcy Bush joined her on base via a two-out walk. Brooke Marquez battled her way to a full count and fouled several pitches off before swinging and missing at a wild pitch in the dirt. She took off for first and the throw down sailed into right field, allowing Letourneau to come around and make it a 3-1 game heading to the third frame.
With the score the same in the top of the fourth, Minnesota loaded the bases with one out on a single, an error and another single that fell between four Wildcats in left-center field. A ball that missed by three hairs and some air on a full count forced in one run before an infield single brought in another, giving the Gophers a 5-1 lead. The next batter smoked a line drive toward short, where Andrea Filler leapt and snared it before racing to second to end the rally on an unassisted double play.
The play proved to be a catalyst when the #B1GCats put together a big rally in the bottom of the inning. Letourneau and Sammy Nettling each walked to start the frame, with Marissa Panko taking over on the base paths for Letourneau. Freshman Morgan Nelson then showed up and showed out, smashing a laser to center that left the park on a rope, bringing NU all the way back within a run, 5-4.
The shot was Nelson's fifth of the season.
In the top of the fifth, Minnesota got a leadoff solo home run and then put runners at the corners with no outs, leading to Kaley Winegarner entering the circle in relief. Both Gophers on base eventually made their way around to score, the second coming home on a sacrifice fly to give Minnesota a four-run lead back, 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Nelson got another rally started with a one-out double. She moved to third on a wild pitch during an eventual walk to Bush. With two outs, Groenewegen plunked Fran Strub with a pitch to load the bases, leading the Gophers to insert Nikki Anderson into the circle in relief. On the first pitch, Anderson got a comebacker to end the inning.
The Gophers ripped a leadoff double in the top of the seventh, but Winegarner immediately fanned the next two batters before getting a lineout to Strub in right. Then, in the bottom half of the frame, Krista Williams reached on a leadoff error. One out later, Letourneau ripped a single into left to reach base for the third time in the game, but the rally ended there.
Ellis (3-5) went four-plus innings in the start, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Winegarner went the final three innings, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Nelson led NU at the plate with her three-run home run and a double during a two-hit performance.
••••••
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sara Groenewegen (18-4)
L: Ellis, Kenzie (3-5)
S: Nikki Anderson (1)
Batting:
2B: Maddie Houlihan 1 ; Sydney Dwyer 1
HR: Taylor LeMay 1 ; Sydney Fabian 1
RBI: Sam Macken 1 ; Taylor LeMay 1 ; Paige Palkovich 1 ; Sydney Fabian 4
SF: Paige Palkovich 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor LeMay 1 ; Dani Wagner 1 ; Maddie Houlihan 1 ; Kayla Wenner 1 ; Paige Palkovich 2 ; Sydney Dwyer 1 ; Sydney Fabian 1
SB: Kayla Wenner 1
Batting:
2B: Nelson, Morgan 1
HR: Nelson, Morgan 1
RBI: Nelson, Morgan 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Letourneau, Amy 1 ; Panko, Marissa 1 ; Nettling, Sammy 1 ; Nelson, Morgan 1
CS: Williams, Krista 1
HBP: Letourneau, Amy 1 ; Strub, Fran 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballP/1B
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
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