NU Fights Hard in 11-10 Loss at No. 24 Minnesota

NEBRASKA  10 11 minnesota
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Nebraska	1	0	4	0	0	2	3		10	15	0
Minnesota	2	0	0	8	0	0	1		11	10	0

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Groenewegen (23-5)	4.1	11	8	8	0	4
L - McClure (16-8)	0.2	1	1	1	3	0
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR
Mattie Fowler	4	2	4	1	1	0
Dawna Tyson	4	1	2	5	1	1
MJ Knighten	4	2	3	2	0	1

Game Notes

Nebraska fell to 3-9 on the season vs. ranked teams...MJ Knighten had three hits, two runs and two RBIs...with the big day, Knighten became the first Husker ever to produce 50 hits, 50 runs and 50 RBIs in more than one season (also accomplished the feat in 2015)...Knighten also became only the second Husker to produce 50 RBIs in back-to-back seasons (joining Ali Viola) and the second Husker to score 50 runs in back-to-back seasons (joining Tobin Echo-Hawk)...Knighten's third-inning home run was her 18th of the season, as she joined Ali Viola and Taylor Edwards as the only Huskers to hit 18 home runs in a season (Knighten is currently second on Nebraska's season home run chart)...Taylor Otte hit her first career triple in the fourth inning...Mattie Fowler set a career high with four hits...Dawna Tyson set a career high with five RBIs...Nebraska produced season highs with nine extra-base hits, five doubles, three home runs and one triple...each of Minnesota's first three hits were home runs and the Golden Gophers hit four total home runs in the game.

Minneapolis, Minn. - The Nebraska softball team came out swinging on Saturday, but the Huskers came up just short in a hard-fought 11-10 loss at No. 24 Minnesota. 

The Huskers fared much better against Minnesota ace Sara Groenewegen on Saturday, tagging Groenewegen for eight runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings after the All-American threw a one-hit shutout on Friday. Fueled by the fast start, Nebraska led 5-2 before Minnesota's eight-run fourth inning seemingly put the game out of reach. But the Huskers fought back, scoring two runs in the sixth and three more runs of Groenewegen in the seventh to tie the game at 10-10.

But while Groenewegen didn't have her best performance in the circle, she was outstanding at the plate, finishing 2-for-5 with five RBIs, including a two-out, walk-off single down the right field line in the bottom of the seventh. Despite her struggles in the circle, Groenewegen (23-5) earned the win for Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers improved to 32-12 with the win and remained in contention for a Big Ten title by pushing their league record to 12-3. Nebraska fell to 28-16 with its ninth loss to a ranked opponent this season. The Huskers dropped to 9-7 in Big Ten play, with four of Nebraska's conference losses coming at the hands of a ranked foe.

Junior right-hander Cassie McClure (16-8) took the loss for Nebraska. McClure pitched the seventh inning and surrendered three walks before giving up Groenewegen's walk-off single. Sophomore Kaylan Jablonski earned the start and pitched a total of 4.2 innings over two different appearances on Saturday, allowing five runs. Senior right-hander Emily Lockman tossed 1.1 innings in the middle of the game and allowed five runs. Six of the Golden Gophers' 10 hits went for extra bases, including four home runs, while Nebraska pitching also issued a season-high 10 walks.

Offensively, Fowler set a career high with four hits, finishing 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Knighten was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, while Jablonski and senior Dawna Tyson also homered. Tyson finished 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and a career-high five RBIs. Nebraska out-hit Minnesota, 15-10, marking the first time the Huskers have out-hit an opponent in 10 games. A season-high nine of the Huskers' 15 hits went for extra bases, including a season-high five doubles and a season-high three home runs.

Things started well for Nebraska. After totaling only one base runner and one hit in Friday's game, Nebraska used a pair of hits to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Knighten reached on a one-out single and stole second before scoring on a two-out RBI double from Fowler.

Minnesota answered right back in the bottom of the frame, using a leadoff walk and a two-run homer from Taylor LeMay to take a 2-1 lead.

Nebraska regained the lead in the top of the third when senior Kiki Stokes singled and Knighten blasted the next pitch down the left field line for a two-run homer. Leading 3-2, senior Alicia Armstrong followed with a double and Fowler singled to put runners at the corners with one out. Tyson then lined a two-run double to the gap in left center that gave Nebraska a 5-2 advantage.

The Huskers missed a chance to add to their lead in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Taylor Otte led off the inning with her first career triple, but the next two Huskers both lined out before a sharp ground out ended the threat.

Minnesota then exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the frame as the Golden Gophers made it a full turn through the order without making an out.  Lockman - who relieved Jablonski to start the third inning - retired the first batter of the bottom of the fourth before the next nine batters combined for seven hits and two walks.

Minnesota used six consecutive one-out hits to take a 6-5 lead. The rally started with back-to-back home runs before a single, an RBI triple and an RBI double put the Golden Gophers back in front and marked the end of the day for Lockman. Jablonski re-entered the game and allowed a single and a walk to load the bases before Groenewegen hit the first pitch she saw over the fence in left for a grand slam that made it 10-5 Minnesota.

Jablonski got a run back herself in the top of the sixth when she sent an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right center for her fourth home run of the season. Sophomore Madi Unzicker followed with a double, which brought Groenewegen back into the game. Groenewegen recorded a strike out before sophomore Laura Barrowed doubled off the wall in center to score Unzicker and cut the lead to 10-7. But the Golden Gophers turned a foul ball down the left field line into an inning-ending double play.

Nebraska pulled even in the top of the seventh. Knighten began the inning with her third hit of the day. With one out, Fowler singled for her fourth hit of the day before Tyson blasted a game-tying three-run homer to left.

McClure entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and issued three straight one-out walks - one intentional - to load the bases. She then struck out LeMay before Groenewegen lined the first pitch she saw just fair down the right field line for the game-winning hit.

Nebraska and Minnesota wrap up their three-game series on Sunday. The start time for Sunday's finale has been pushed up to 11 a.m. due to the potential for rain in the Minneapolis area. The game will still air live on the Big Ten Network.

 

Box Score

 

2016 Nebraska Softball Nebraska at #24 Minnesota Apr 23, 2016 at Minneapolis, Minn. (Jane Cowles Stadium)

Nebraska 10 (28-16,9-7 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Stokes, Kiki cf.......... 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Knighten, MJ 3b.......... 4 2 3 2 0 0 0 3 1 Armstrong, Alicia ss..... 4 2 1 0 0 0 2 3 0 Fowler, Mattie 1b........ 4 2 4 1 0 0 8 0 0 Sjulin, Lotte pr........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tyson, Dawna dp.......... 4 1 2 5 0 0 0 0 1 Jablonski, Kaylan p...... 4 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Urness, Austen lf....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 McClure, Cassie p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Unzicker, Madi c......... 4 1 1 0 0 3 3 0 1 Otte, Taylor rf.......... 3 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 Barrow, Laura 2b......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Metzler, Gina lf/pr...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Lockman, Emily p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 34 10 15 10 0 6 20 9 3

Minnesota 11 (32-12,13-3 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Sam Macken 3b............ 3 2 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 Danielle Parlich 2b...... 4 2 2 0 1 0 2 3 0 Taylor LeMay c........... 3 2 1 2 2 0 8 0 2 Sara Groenewegen p/dp.... 5 1 2 5 0 0 1 1 1 Maddie Houlihan 1b....... 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 Paige Palkovich cf....... 3 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 Kayla Wenner lf.......... 4 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 2 Sydney Dwyer dp/ss....... 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 Ellie Cowger pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sydney Fabian rf......... 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Dani Wagner ss........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Nikki Anderson p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 30 11 10 11 10 2 21 7 9

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Nebraska............ 104 002 3 - 10 15 0 Minnesota........... 200 800 1 - 11 10 0 -----------------------------------------

Note: 2 outs, 3 runners LOB when the game ended.

DP - Gophers 2. LOB - Huskers 3; Gophers 9. 2B - Armstrong(4); Fowler(6); Tyson(4); Unzicker(6); Barrow(6); Macken(20). 3B - Otte(1); Fabian(1). HR - Knighten(18); Tyson(2); Jablonski(4); LeMay(5); Groenewegen(9); Palkovich(5); Wenner(4). SB - Knighten(5); Houlihan(7).

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Jablonski, Kaylan... 4.2 4 5 5 6 2 18 24 79 Lockman, Emily...... 1.1 5 5 5 1 0 9 10 36 McClure, Cassie..... 0.2 1 1 1 3 0 3 6 30

Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Sara Groenewegen.... 4.1 11 8 8 0 4 23 23 79 Nikki Anderson...... 2.2 4 2 2 0 2 11 11 48

Win - Groenewegen (23-5). Loss - McClure (16-8). Save - None. WP - McClure(4). Pitches/strikes: Jablonski 79/34; Lockman 36/23; McClure 30/15; Groenewegen 79/56; Anderson 48/31. Umpires - HP: Charles McManus 1B: Megan Rabin 3B: Naomi Erdahl Start: 1:02 pm Time: 2:43 Attendance: Anderson faced 2 batters in the 6th. Game: NEB44