Huskers Lose Series Finale to No. 8 Minnesota

Nebraska  1 8 Minnesota
Box Score

Inning-by-Inning
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E
Minnesota	0	0	4	0	0	3	1		8	13	1
Nebraska	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	2	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Groenewegen (13-1)	7.0	2	1	1	0	11
L - McLeod (0-4)	7.0	13	8	8	3	5
S - None	0.0	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	SB
Cassie McClure	3	0	1	1	0	0
Gina Metzler	2	0	1	0	0	1

Game Notes

With the loss, Nebraska was swept in a three-game conference series for only the second time since joining the Big Ten in 2012 and for the first time at home...freshman Sydney McLeod set a career high with 7.0 innings pitched and five strikeouts...all four of McLeod's starts this season have come against a ranked team, including two starts vs. top-10 opponents...Alyvia Simmons saw her streak of reaching base safely in 13 consecutive games snapped...MJ Knighten saw her seven-game hitting streak snapped.

Lincoln - A trio of timely hits helped power No. 8 Minnesota to an 8-1 victory over the Nebraska softball team Sunday at Bowlin Stadium.

Each of the Gophers' final six runs scored with two outs, as Minnesota produced a two-out two-run double in the third, a two-out three-run homer in the sixth and a two-out RBI single in the seventh. The eight runs were more than enough support for two-time All-American Sara Groenewegen, who limited Nebraska to two hits and one unearned run while striking out 11.

In the circle for Nebraska, freshman left-hander Sydney McLeod tossed the first complete game of her career. In her fourth career start - all against ranked teams - McLeod (0-4) allowed eight runs on 13 hits and posted a career-high five strikeouts, all of which came in the fifth inning or later.

Offensively, senior Cassie McClure and junior Gina Metzler produced the Huskers' lone two hits, while McClure drove in Nebraska's only run.

With the win, Minnesota swept the three-game conference-opening series while improving to 28-2. The Huskers fell to 8-20 with their 17th loss to a team that has appeared in the NFCA top-25 poll this season.

After a scoreless first two innings, Minnesota took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. Consecutive doubles to begin the inning plated the game's first run before a one-out RBI single made it 2-0. Then with two outs, Sydney Dwyer produced a two-run double to push the lead to 4-0.

Nebraska cut the lead to 4-1 with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Senior MJ Knighten advanced to second base following a leadoff error, and she scored on a one-out RBI single from McClure.

Minnesota added three insurance runs in the top of the sixth on a two-out, three-run homer from Kendyl Lindaman.

The Gophers tacked on one more run with another timely in the seventh, stretching the lead to 8-0 on a two-out RBI single from Sam Macken.

That was more than enough support for Groenewegen, who retired the final 11 Huskers following McClure's fourth-inning RBI single.

Following the loss to Minnesota, Nebraska begins a four-game road trip with an in-state matchup at Creighton on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Box Score 2017 Nebraska Softball #8 Minnesota at Nebraska Mar 26, 2017 at Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)

Minnesota 8 (28-2,3-0 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Sam Macken rf............ 5 1 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 Danielle Parlich 3b...... 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 Maddie Houlihan dp....... 4 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 Kendyl Lindaman c........ 3 2 1 3 1 0 11 0 2 MaKenna Partain 2b....... 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 Sydney Dwyer 1b.......... 4 0 2 2 0 0 5 0 0 Sara Groenewegen p....... 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 0 Dani Wagner cf........... 4 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 2 Allie Arneson ss......... 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 Carlie Brandt lf/pr...... 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals................... 34 8 13 8 3 5 21 6 9

Nebraska 1 (8-20,0-3 Big Ten)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Alyvia Simmons cf........ 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 1 MJ Knighten 3b........... 3 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 Tristen Edwards rf....... 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Cassie McClure dp........ 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 Lotte Sjulin pr......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alexis Perry 1b.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 10 0 0 Haley Donaldson ss....... 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Gina Metzler lf.......... 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Bri Cassidy c............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Austen Urness ph/c...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 Laura Barrow 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Sydney McLeod p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 1 2 1 0 11 21 5 2

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Minnesota........... 004 003 1 - 8 13 1 Nebraska............ 000 100 0 - 1 2 1 -----------------------------------------

E - Partain(8); Simmons(2). LOB - Gophers 9; Huskers 2. 2B - Macken(10); Dwyer(7); Arneson(3). HR - Lindaman(8). HBP - Groenewegen. SB - Houlihan(6); Metzler(4).

Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Sara Groenewegen.... 7.0 2 1 0 0 11 24 24 86

Nebraska IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Sydney McLeod....... 7.0 13 8 8 3 5 34 38 140

Win - Groenewegen (13-1). Loss - McLeod (0-4). Save - None. WP - McLeod(1). HBP - by McLeod (Groenewegen). Pitches/strikes: Groenewegen 86/66; McLeod 140/88. Umpires - HP: Frederick Ewald 1B: Erin Peterson 3B: Royce Eller Start: 12:00 pm Time: 2:05 Attendance: 541 Game: NEB28