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Western Illinois University Athletics

Baseball
Wesley Dean
4
Western Illinois WIU 2-17
11
Winner Minnesota Gophers MINN 6-15
Western Illinois WIU
2-17
4
Final
11
Minnesota Gophers MINN
6-15
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 4 7 2
Minnesota Gophers MINN 3 1 0 0 5 1 0 1 X 11 14 2

W: Ireland, Sam (3-0) L: Bell, Jack (1-1) S: Holetz, Richie (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Minnesota Uses Big Fifth Inning To Take Game One

The Golden Gophers scored five runs in the fifth to take the first game against Western Illinois.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.-Western Illinois baseball (2-17) fell behind early to the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-15) and fell in Friday's matchup 11-4. A pair of big innings offensively and a solid start from their starter helped propel Minnesota to a win in the series opener.
 
In the first inning, Western Illinois got a pair of baserunners from a double and a walk but couldn't find a big hit to drive in any runs. The same couldn't be said for Minnesota, putting up three runs in their first inning of offense. After a leadoff walk, the Golden Gophers used a two-run home run to strike first. A single and stolen base put a runner in scoring position, and Minnesota brought him in on a two-out single to center, taking a 3-0 lead. Another two-out single in the bottom of the second drove in another run for Minnesota, giving them a four-run lead.
 
In the third, Nick Mitchell got on with a one-out single and scored later in the inning on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt to get the Leathernecks on the board.
 
Chandler Fochs kept Minnesota at bay in the third and fourth, but the Golden Gophers created separation in the fifth. An error and walk gave the Gophers runners on first and second, and they scored a run with a double to right-center to take a 5-1 lead. A wild pitch brought in the inning's second run, but WIU got the next two batters out to regain control. However, a triple and two-run home run brought in three more runs to give Minnesota a 9-1 advantage.
 
Adam Juran gave WIU their second run in the sixth with a single, but Minnesota answered in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI double to go ahead 10-2.
 
The Leathernecks got a pair of singles from Derek Botaletto and Matt Santarelli in the seventh, which set up Mitchell to continue his great game at the plate. Mitchell lined a single to center to drive in both baserunners to make the score 10-4.
 
Minnesota added an insurance run in the eighth on another two-out RBI single to go ahead 11-4.
 
Nick Mitchell was the big story for Western Illinois, going 2-2, with two RBIs, two walks, two stolen bases, and a run scored.
 
Western Illinois had another active game in stealing bases, finishing the game with five. It's the second time WIU has had at least five steals in a game this season.
 
Derek Botaletto ended the game 2-4, giving him his third multi-hit game in the past four contests.

Game two versus the Golden Gophers occurs tomorrow (March 26) at 2 p.m. CT.

 
 
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