University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Utah
Gopher Baseball Splits Final Day in Surprise
2/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Box Score: Minnesota 9, Utah 3 
| Box Score: Oregon State 8, Minnesota 7
Minnesota closed out the opening weekend of the college baseball season by splitting a doubleheader in Surprise, Ariz. on Sunday. The Gophers won the first game of the day, 9-3, against Utah before taking No. 5 Oregon State down to the wire, 8-7.
Ten players collected hits for Minnesota on the day, with Terrin Vavra leading the way with five base knocks. Austin Athmann, Matt Fiedler, Toby Hanson and Riley Smith each totaled four hits in the two-game set.
On the mound, seven pitchers saw action, including starters Toby Anderson and Tyler Hanson. As a staff, Minnesota held the Beavers and Utes to a .217 batting average on the day.
Minnesota returns to action next weekend when it travels to Campbell for a three-game series, Feb. 26-28.
Game No. 1 - Minnesota 9, Utah 3
The Gophers introduced a significantly different starting lineup than their previous two games - and the results stayed the same. Minnesota (3-0) tallied 15 hits from eight different sources en route to a 9-3 victory against Utah.
The Maroon and Gold were paced by a pair of freshmen in Riley Smith and Terrin Vavra, who both collected multi-hit performances. Smith led the way after going 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Vavra went 3-for-5 and collected three RBI.
Toby Anderson was tabbed the starter and put on a masterful show on the mound to get the win. The junior went 5.0 innings and didn't allow a single hit, while adding a pair of strikeouts and kept the Utes (1-2) guessing during the outing.
Minnesota's bats were hot early as the team scampered across three runs in the opening three frames. After Ben Mezzenga led off with a single in his first career at-bat in the first stanza, he stole second and was brought in by a double in the right-center alley by Austin Athmann.
The Gophers extended their lead in the third when Micah Coffey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Jordan Smith pushed across a run on a fielder's choice to make it 3-0, in favor of the designated road team.
In the fourth, R. Smith doubled down the line in left and moved to third on a Mezzenga sac bunt. From there, Vavra laced a single up the middle and notched another RBI on his belt to make the score line 4-0.
Meanwhile, Anderson was keeping hitters off-balance and tallied two strikeouts on high heat.
Minnesota blew the game open in the sixth when the team brought in three runs on five hits and were aided by a Utah error. A quartet of singles in consecutive order by R. Smith, Mezzenga, Vavra and Matt Fiedler gave the Gophers a 6-0 lead. Minnesota added another run on a Toby Hanson RBI double to deep left-center.
Cody Campbell came on in relief for Anderson in the sixth and provided 1.2 innings without allowing a hit and keeping the no-hitter still in play.
In the eighth, the Utes finally broke through with a single to right field. That was all the Gophers would surrender as Nick Lackney - making his first career appearance - got three of the next four hitters out.
Minnesota added to its margin in its final at-bat with J. Smith and R. Smith RBI singles to make the score a 9-0 difference.
The Utes were able to plate three in the final stanza, but were unable to complete the comeback, sending the Gophers to their second 3-0 start in the past three seasons.
Game No. 2 - No. 5 Oregon State 8, Minnesota 7
Minnesota battled with one of the top teams in the country in an 8-7 defeat to Oregon State. The Gophers (3-1) used a balanced lineup from top to bottom to hang 14 hits on the Beavers (2-1).
Matt Fiedler paved the way with three hits, while Toby Hanson provided the power with a pair of hits, including a home run over the right field wall, and notched three RBI.
Tyler Hanson started the game and went 4.0 innings, giving up six runs (three earned) and seven hits.
Minnesota got a hit from Terrin Vavra, who made his second consecutive start in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, but was unable to cause any damage in the first inning of play.
Oregon State threatened in the bottom of the first with a runner on third and two outs, but Dan Motl made a diving grab in center field off a sharply hit line drive that saved a run.
The Beavers were able to capitalize in their next opportunity as they scored three runs on an RBI triple and a 2-run homer. It was just the second time the Gophers trailed all weekend.
Minnesota responded with an offensive onslaught in the third. The Gophers netted five runs, including four with two outs. After back-to-back singles by Jordan Smith and Luke Pettersen, Vavra produced an RBI groundout to get the Gophers on the board. Austin Athmann fired an RBI single later on and was brought in, along with Fiedler, on a mammoth 3-run blast by Hanson to give Minnesota a 5-3 lead.
The Gophers were able to extend the margin in the fourth on a Vavra triple to right center, but relinquished the lead in the home half as Oregon State mounted a 3-run inning by way of an RBI single and double down the right field line that plated two and knotted the game at 6-6.
After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning, Minnesota once again took the lead in the seventh frame on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Connor Schaefbauer.
The Beavers answered back to tie the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh, also by a sacrifice fly.
After holding the Gophers in check in the eighth, Oregon State scored in the home half on an RBI single with two outs that squeaked through the right side.
Minnesota refused to go down quietly and loaded the bases with a pair of outs in the top of the ninth, but the Beavers induced a flyout that ended the game at 8-7.
