The Minnesota baseball team (10-9) overcame a 5-0 deficit and scored 12 unanswered runs to defeat No. 2 Missouri (19-3) 12-5 at the Metrodome on Wednesday, Mar. 26. The Golden Gophers’ victory over the second-ranked Tigers was its highest ranked win since they defeated No. 2 Cal State Fullerton twice in a three-game series on Mar. 7-9, 2003.
Minnesota's victory also snapped Missouri's 14-game winning streak in the process.
“Our team has done a good job all year of staying on an even keel no matter what the situation,” said Minnesota Head Coach John Anderson. “I think they did a good job today of putting last night’s game behind them, and showing up to the ballpark in a good frame of mind. Our freshman pitched great out of the bullpen, we played good defense and we hit the ball real well. When you execute in all of the phases of the game like that you are going to have good success.”
Freshman Seth Rosin (Mounds View, Minn.) started the third inning in relief with the Golden Gophers down 5-2. Rosin pitched four shutout innings, giving up two hits, three walks and striking out two batters to collect his first career win. Freshman Luke Rasmussen (Northfield, Minn.) entered the game in the top of the seventh with the Golden Gophers leading 7-5, and closed out the game with three shutout innings. Rasmussen pitched to the minimum amount of batters surrendering just one hit and striking out a batter to pick up his first career save.
Minnesota pounded out its second-highest hit total of the season with 18, and its second-highest run total of the season with 12 to claim the victory over the Tigers. Overall, the Golden Gophers had 34 hits in the two games against Missouri’s pitching staff.
The top three hitters in Minnesota’s lineup went a collective 8-for-14 with five runs and six RBI. Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI on the day. It was the second straight three-hit game for Nohelty, and the seventh time this season he has collected three or more hits in a game.
Nate Hanson (Chanhassen, Minn.) went 3-for-5 with a run, a double and two RBI. It marked the fifth time in seven games that he has collected an extra-base hit. Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) also went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and two RBI.
Sophomore Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) was also 3-for-5 with three runs, while Jeremy Chlan (Apple Valley, Minn.) went 3-for-5 a run and two RBI. Senior Tom Steidl (Alexandria, Minn.) was also 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI and two sacrifice bunts.
The Tigers put up five runs to in the top of the first to move out to a 5-0 lead. Minnesota chipped away with two runs in the second, one in the third and two in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5.
That lead appeared in jeopardy as Missouri loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth. Ryan Lollis lined a shot to the right side that Chlan made a diving play on to save a couple of runs, and keep the game tied at 5-5.
“It was exciting to get my first career win today against a quality opponent,” said Rosin. “I thought my teammates played excellent defense behind me, especially Jeremy (Chlan) in the sixth inning when he made the great play on the line drive to get us out of the inning.”
Minnesota immediately capitalized on the momentum it gained from the defensive gem in the top of the inning with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. McCallum led off with a single, and beat the throw at second when Steidl reached on a fielder’s choice bunt. Chlan beat out a bunt to load the bases with nobody out. Nohelty delivered an RBI single through the right side to give the Golden Gophers their first lead of the game at 6-5.
After a catcher-to-first double play got Missouri two outs with out any further damage, Hanson delivered an RBI infield-single that found its way in between the shortstop and third basemen to give Minnesota a 7-5 lead.
The Golden Gophers put together a five-run inning of their own in the bottom of the seventh to take a 12-5 lead. Michael Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) led off with a walk, and moved to second on a McCallum single. Minnesota loaded the bases on a bunt single by Steidl. Chlan followed with an RBI single to put the Golden Gophers up 8-5.
McCallum came home to score on a fielder’s choice RBI by Nohelty to make it 9-5. Decker gave Minnesota a six-run cushion with a two-run triple to right center field, and finished the scoring at 12-5 when he scored on a wild pitch.
Missouri reliever Phil McCormick gave up three hits and two runs in one third of an inning to take the loss and fall to 0-1. Tiger starter Rick Zagone surrendered five hits and three runs in three innings of work. Minnesota scored nine runs in six innings off the Missouri bullpen on the day.
The Tigers jumped on the Golden Gophers scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. Jacob Priday put Missouri ahead 4-0 when he crushed a grand slam to left field with no outs in the inning. Steve Gray followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Ryan Lollis to give Missouri a 5-0 lead.
Tyler Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) started for Minnesota and gave up five hits and five runs in two innings of work.
The Golden Gophers got on the board with a pair runs in the bottom of the second inning to make it 5-2. DeSmidt was hit by a pitch, and moved up to second on a throwing error by the Missouri leftfielder. McCallum singled to make it first and third. Steidl got the Golden Gophers on the board with an infield RBI single to make it 5-1. Chlan followed with an RBI single to plate McCallum.
Minnesota got a single run in the bottom of the third inning to cut the Missouri lead to 5-3. Nohelty and Decker started the inning with back-to-back singles. Nohelty came home to score when DeSmidt reached on an error by the third baseman to help the Golden Gophers cut the Missouri lead to two runs.
In the fifth inning, Minnesota tied the game with a pair of runs to make it 5-5. Hanson cut the Missouri lead to 5-4 with an RBI double, and came around to score the tying run when Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.) singled and the leftfielder bobbled the ball.
Missouri was led by Priday, who reached base four times and was 2-for-4 with a home run, a run and four RBI. Calvert and Lollis each went 2-for-4 with a run in the game. Aaron Senne reached base three times, but was held hitless after collecting four hits and eight RBI in last night’s game.
Minnesota will be back in action on Friday, Mar. 28 at 6:35 p.m. when it faces Indiana in the Big Ten opener. The Golden Gophers will also face the Hoosiers in a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 29 at 2:05 p.m. and in a single game on Sunday, Mar. 30 at 1:05 p.m.
Courtesy: University of Minnesota
