Source: Gophersports.com
Posted: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:27:00 PM EST
Published: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:29:11 PM EST
Posted: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:27:00 PM EST
Published: Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:29:11 PM EST
The 20th-ranked Minnesota baseball team (38-16) defeated No. 23 Ohio State (40-17) 9-6 to eliminate the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, May 23. Ohio State was the third team that the Golden Gophers eliminated from the tournament. With the win, the Golden Gophers advanced to the Big Ten Championship game to face Indiana at 7:30 p.m.
It marks the eighth time in Minnesota's last eight Big Ten Tournament appearances that the Golden Gophers have advanced to the championship game.
Minnesota was led by junior Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) who reached base all five times he came to the plate, and was 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs and a career-high four RBI.
Senior Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) went 3-for-6 with two runs and a stolen base. On his third hit of the day, Nohelty became the third Golden Gopher in school history to reach the 300-hit mark in his career, joining Robb Quinlan (1996-99) and Sam Steidl (2001-04). He also stole his fifth base of the Big Ten Tournament to set a new tournament record.
Junior Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) was also 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while redshirt freshman Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI. Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.) reached base three times, and was 2-for-4 with two runs. Freshman Justin Gominsky
(Mahtomedi, Minn.) also went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore Scott Fern (Eau Claire, Wis.) gave up eight hits, four runs, walked two and struck out two, as he pitched a career-high 4.1 innings to get Minnesota into the fifth inning. Luke Rasmussen (Northfield, Minn.) picked it up from there as he got the Golden Gophers into the eighth inning, going 2.2 innings, giving up five hits, two runs, no walks and collecting two strikeouts. Rasmussen picked up the win to move to 4-0 on the season.
Scott Matyas (North Prairie, Wis.) picked up his 14th save of the year, as he pitched two innings, gave up two hits and struck out three batters. It was Matyas' second two-inning save in as many weeks.
Ohio State starter Eric Best gave up nine hits, five runs, walked one and struck out two in 3.2 innings to take the loss to fall to 7-4. Minnesota also got to Drew Rucinski who gave up six hits, four runs and walked two batters.
Minnesota jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning as it batted around. Nohelty led off with a single, and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. Two batters later, McCallum crushed a one-out RBI double to right center field to put the Golden Gophers ahead 1-0. Kvasnicka reached on an fielder's choice, when McCallum was thrown out at third.
Knudson followed with a single to make it first and second, and O'Shea plated both Kvasnicka and Knudson to put Minnesota ahead 3-0. Decker followed with a bloop RBI single to plate O'Shea to give the Golden Gophers a 4-0 lead.
Ohio State got three runs back in the bottom of the first to cut the Minnesota lead to 4-3. Zach Hurley led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Cory Kovanda to make it first and third. Michael Stephens followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-1. Dan Burkhart and
Ryan Dew followed with a pair of RBI singles to make it 4-3. Fern settled down to retire the next three batters to keep the Golden Gophers' one-run lead intact.
The Buckeyes tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the second when Cory Kovanda had a two-single, stole second and came home to score on an RBI single by Stephens to tie the game.
Minnesota took a 5-4 lead in the top of the third inning when Decker crushed a pitched over the wall in right center field.
The Golden Gophers pushed the lead to 6-4 in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Decker singled and stole second to get things started. Gominsky brought him home with an RBI double to right center field to give Minnesota a two-run lead.
Minnesota scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to take an 8-4 lead. With two outs, Kvasnicka singled and moved to second on a Knudson walk. O'Shea hit a chopper to the shortstop who stepped on second base at the same time that Knudson arrived to load the bases. Decker followed with a two-out, two-run single to put the Golden Gophers ahead 8-4.
The Golden Gophers pushed their lead to 9-4 with a single run in the top of the seventh inning. Nohelty got things started with one-out single, stole second base and moved to third on a bunt single by AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.). McCallum plated the ninth run when he drove in Nohelty with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Ohio State cut the lead to 9-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Dan Burkhart hit a home run that skipped off the top of the fence.
The Buckeyes put runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth inning on back-to-back singles by Michael Arp and Tyler Engle. Matyas struck out the next two batters, before Cory Kovanda delivered an RBI single to cut the Minnesota lead to 9-6. Matyas struck out Stephens to get out of the inning.
In the ninth, Matyas retired the first two batters before Justin Miller reached on a double. Matyas got Arp to pop up to second base to give Minnesota the victory.
Ohio State was led by Stephens who was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while Burkhart was 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a run. Dew was also 2-for-5 with an RBI.
It marks the eighth time in Minnesota's last eight Big Ten Tournament appearances that the Golden Gophers have advanced to the championship game.
Minnesota was led by junior Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) who reached base all five times he came to the plate, and was 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs and a career-high four RBI.
Senior Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) went 3-for-6 with two runs and a stolen base. On his third hit of the day, Nohelty became the third Golden Gopher in school history to reach the 300-hit mark in his career, joining Robb Quinlan (1996-99) and Sam Steidl (2001-04). He also stole his fifth base of the Big Ten Tournament to set a new tournament record.
Junior Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) was also 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while redshirt freshman Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) was 2-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI. Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.) reached base three times, and was 2-for-4 with two runs. Freshman Justin Gominsky
(Mahtomedi, Minn.) also went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore Scott Fern (Eau Claire, Wis.) gave up eight hits, four runs, walked two and struck out two, as he pitched a career-high 4.1 innings to get Minnesota into the fifth inning. Luke Rasmussen (Northfield, Minn.) picked it up from there as he got the Golden Gophers into the eighth inning, going 2.2 innings, giving up five hits, two runs, no walks and collecting two strikeouts. Rasmussen picked up the win to move to 4-0 on the season.
Scott Matyas (North Prairie, Wis.) picked up his 14th save of the year, as he pitched two innings, gave up two hits and struck out three batters. It was Matyas' second two-inning save in as many weeks.
Ohio State starter Eric Best gave up nine hits, five runs, walked one and struck out two in 3.2 innings to take the loss to fall to 7-4. Minnesota also got to Drew Rucinski who gave up six hits, four runs and walked two batters.
Minnesota jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning as it batted around. Nohelty led off with a single, and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. Two batters later, McCallum crushed a one-out RBI double to right center field to put the Golden Gophers ahead 1-0. Kvasnicka reached on an fielder's choice, when McCallum was thrown out at third.
Knudson followed with a single to make it first and second, and O'Shea plated both Kvasnicka and Knudson to put Minnesota ahead 3-0. Decker followed with a bloop RBI single to plate O'Shea to give the Golden Gophers a 4-0 lead.
Ohio State got three runs back in the bottom of the first to cut the Minnesota lead to 4-3. Zach Hurley led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Cory Kovanda to make it first and third. Michael Stephens followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-1. Dan Burkhart and
Ryan Dew followed with a pair of RBI singles to make it 4-3. Fern settled down to retire the next three batters to keep the Golden Gophers' one-run lead intact.
The Buckeyes tied the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the second when Cory Kovanda had a two-single, stole second and came home to score on an RBI single by Stephens to tie the game.
Minnesota took a 5-4 lead in the top of the third inning when Decker crushed a pitched over the wall in right center field.
The Golden Gophers pushed the lead to 6-4 in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Decker singled and stole second to get things started. Gominsky brought him home with an RBI double to right center field to give Minnesota a two-run lead.
Minnesota scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to take an 8-4 lead. With two outs, Kvasnicka singled and moved to second on a Knudson walk. O'Shea hit a chopper to the shortstop who stepped on second base at the same time that Knudson arrived to load the bases. Decker followed with a two-out, two-run single to put the Golden Gophers ahead 8-4.
The Golden Gophers pushed their lead to 9-4 with a single run in the top of the seventh inning. Nohelty got things started with one-out single, stole second base and moved to third on a bunt single by AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.). McCallum plated the ninth run when he drove in Nohelty with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Ohio State cut the lead to 9-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Dan Burkhart hit a home run that skipped off the top of the fence.
The Buckeyes put runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth inning on back-to-back singles by Michael Arp and Tyler Engle. Matyas struck out the next two batters, before Cory Kovanda delivered an RBI single to cut the Minnesota lead to 9-6. Matyas struck out Stephens to get out of the inning.
In the ninth, Matyas retired the first two batters before Justin Miller reached on a double. Matyas got Arp to pop up to second base to give Minnesota the victory.
Ohio State was led by Stephens who was 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while Burkhart was 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a run. Dew was also 2-for-5 with an RBI.
