University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 20
Omaha, NE
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Creighton Completes Sweep with 4-2 Win Over Gophers
3/20/2022 3:20:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team ended the weekend with a 4-2 loss to the Creighton Bluejays at Charles Schwab Field. CU took game one, 5-4, and game two, 14-7, before completing the sweep on Sunday.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Bluejays loaded the bases with no outs before driving in the eventual game-winning runs on a pair of RBI ground outs. Minnesota had a chance to tie in the ninth but couldn't get anything going.
Brett Bateman led the Minnesota offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, including an RBI single. Brady Counsell, Otto Grimm and Drew Stahl had the other hits for the Gophers.
Aidan Maldonado started on the mound for Minnesota, lasting 4.1 innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs.
Minnesota (5-15, 0-0 Big Ten) got the scoring going immediately in the first inning. Drew Stahl was hit by a pitch to begin the game, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Bateman would drive him home on the next play with an RBI single. Bateman would advance to second on a walk and later steal third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Chase Stanke.
Maldonado held the Bluejays (9-6, 0-0 BIG EAST) scoreless through 4.0 innings, striking out four and giving up three hits. He stranded three combined runners in scoring position in the first two innings and he struck out the side in the second inning.
CU finally got onto the board in the bottom of the fifth. Consecutive walks and an RBI single by Meggs brought the first run to the plate for the home team. Ater forcing a popout from the next hitter, Maldonado hit Wegner to load the bases with one out. He walked the next hitter after a 10-pitch battle, which plated another run to tie the game at 2-2.
Redshirt senior right-handed Josh Culliver entered the game in the fifth with bases loaded and one out. The Omaha native came up clutch, striking out the first hitter and inducing a flyout to get the Gophers out of the jam.
Minnesota left a runner on second in the sixth and a runner on third in the seventh as it tried to break the 2-2 tie but was unable to plate any more runs. The Gophers held pat on defense, holding CU scoreless in both the sixth and seventh innings with great work by pitchers Seth Clausen (1.2 IP) and Tom Skoro (0.1 IP).
After going down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, freshman right-hander George Klassen came in to pitch in the eighth for the 'U.' Klassen hit a pair of Bluejays before being replaced by left-hander Noah DeLuga with no outs and two on. After a bunt single loaded the bases for CU, the Gophers went to closer Will Semb to try and get out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs. Two consecutive ground outs scored runs to give the Bluejays a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth inning.
Minnesota would have one man reach on an error in the ninth inning but couldn't plate any more runs to tie it up as the Bluejays cemented a 4-2 win.
UP NEXT
Minnesota heads home to take on Western Illinois next weekend, March 25-27, for a three-game series at U.S. Bank Stadium.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Bluejays loaded the bases with no outs before driving in the eventual game-winning runs on a pair of RBI ground outs. Minnesota had a chance to tie in the ninth but couldn't get anything going.
Brett Bateman led the Minnesota offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, including an RBI single. Brady Counsell, Otto Grimm and Drew Stahl had the other hits for the Gophers.
Aidan Maldonado started on the mound for Minnesota, lasting 4.1 innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs.
Minnesota (5-15, 0-0 Big Ten) got the scoring going immediately in the first inning. Drew Stahl was hit by a pitch to begin the game, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Bateman would drive him home on the next play with an RBI single. Bateman would advance to second on a walk and later steal third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Chase Stanke.
Maldonado held the Bluejays (9-6, 0-0 BIG EAST) scoreless through 4.0 innings, striking out four and giving up three hits. He stranded three combined runners in scoring position in the first two innings and he struck out the side in the second inning.
CU finally got onto the board in the bottom of the fifth. Consecutive walks and an RBI single by Meggs brought the first run to the plate for the home team. Ater forcing a popout from the next hitter, Maldonado hit Wegner to load the bases with one out. He walked the next hitter after a 10-pitch battle, which plated another run to tie the game at 2-2.
Redshirt senior right-handed Josh Culliver entered the game in the fifth with bases loaded and one out. The Omaha native came up clutch, striking out the first hitter and inducing a flyout to get the Gophers out of the jam.
Minnesota left a runner on second in the sixth and a runner on third in the seventh as it tried to break the 2-2 tie but was unable to plate any more runs. The Gophers held pat on defense, holding CU scoreless in both the sixth and seventh innings with great work by pitchers Seth Clausen (1.2 IP) and Tom Skoro (0.1 IP).
After going down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, freshman right-hander George Klassen came in to pitch in the eighth for the 'U.' Klassen hit a pair of Bluejays before being replaced by left-hander Noah DeLuga with no outs and two on. After a bunt single loaded the bases for CU, the Gophers went to closer Will Semb to try and get out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs. Two consecutive ground outs scored runs to give the Bluejays a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth inning.
Minnesota would have one man reach on an error in the ninth inning but couldn't plate any more runs to tie it up as the Bluejays cemented a 4-2 win.
UP NEXT
Minnesota heads home to take on Western Illinois next weekend, March 25-27, for a three-game series at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lidd, M. (2-0)
L: Klassen, George (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: Bateman, Brett 1 ; Stanke, Chase 1
SH: Sweeny, Ronald 1
SF: Stanke, Chase 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stahl, Drew 1 ; Bateman, Brett 1
SB: Stahl, Drew 1 ; Bateman, Brett 2 ; Stanke, Chase 1
HBP: Stahl, Drew 1
PO: Bateman, Brett 1
Batting:
RBI: Meggs, A. 2 ; Esposito, C. 1 ; Voth, B 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayes, S. 1 ; Hess,K 1 ; Clifford, N. 1 ; Voth, B 1
SB: Sailors, N. 1 ; Hess,K 1
CS: Clifford, N. 1
HBP: Wegner, J. 1 ; Hayes, S. 1 ; Hess,K 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
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RHP
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INF
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C
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