Minnesota Pitchers Seal Road Victory Powered by DenHartog Homer - GopherSports.com

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Next Game:

at Michigan

4/30/2022 | 3:00 PM

BTN

Apr. 30 (Sat) / 3:00 PM

at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A Natalie DenHartog three-run home run in the third inning was all the offense needed for the Golden Gophers softball pitching staff in a 3-2 win at No. 22 Michigan Friday night from Alumni Field.
 
Minnesota (22-20-1 overall, 7-9 B1G) pitchers Emily Leavitt and Autumn Pease shut down the nationally-ranked Wolverines allowing two runs and struck out five. Lauren Espalin went 3-for-4 at the plate totaling as many hits as the entire Michigan lineup Friday.
 
Espalin opened the game with a sharp single to right and a one-out walk by Chloe Evans threatened for Minnesota before the home side closed the frame scoreless. The Wolverines got a walk to begin the bottom half of the inning and a misplay on a sacrifice bunt put two on with no outs. After both moved into scoring position, Michigan got an unearned run when a ball that appeared to foul off the batter's foot was called fair for a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Gophers turned the tide in the third posting back-to-back singles to start the inning as Espalin ripped a hit to center before Ellee Jensen dropped down a perfect bunt. With one out, DenHartog battled and saw a pitch to her liking that she crushed to right field for a three-run blast, her 16th home run of the season, pushing the visitors to a 3-1 lead.
 
Michigan quickly looked to respond in the bottom of the third, but an inning-ending double play from the Gophers defense put a stop to that idea. Kayla Chavez charged a grounder and had a quick throw to Sydney Strelow, who fired to Megan Dray at first to end the frame.
 
The pitchers from both sides took over from that point as just one base runner reached for each team over the next two innings, including a hit-by-pitch from DenHartog as she led the sixth getting beaned. The senior swiped second and was left in scoring position as Minnesota held on to its 3-1 edge. Pease entered the circle for the Gophers in the bottom of the sixth and got two quick outs until the next two Wolverines batters reached on free passes. A RBI single pulled the home side within one, but Pease delivered a perfect pitch for strike three ending the frame with the potential tying run at second base.
 
Espalin posted her third hit of the night, a two-out single in the seventh, as Minnesota looked to tack on insurance runs late. Michigan escaped the inning scoreless before Pease and the Gophers defense closed out the road win, 3-2, needing only eight pitches during the final frame as the senior picked up the save. Leavitt allowed just one unearned run on two hits across five innings and struck out three earning her second-straight victory.
 
Up Next
The Gophers and Wolverines continue the weekend series Saturday with a late-afternoon tilt. First pitch live on BTN is slated for 3 p.m. (CT).

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