University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Utah Valley
Gophers Tally 15 Hits in Loss to Utah Valley
3/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score: Utah Valley 15, Minnesota 6 
Minnesota dropped the series finale to Utah Valley on Sunday afternoon, 15-6, at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem, Utah. In the contest, the Gophers (9-8) netted 15 hits, including six with two outs.
Matt Fiedler paced an offense that saw six players register multiple hits, by going 3-for-5, including a double and an RBI. Troy Traxler provided the pop in the lineup with a two-run home run over the left field wall.
Eddie Estrada, Dan Motl, Jordan Smith, Matt Stemper and Traxler each recorded two-hit performances to lead Minnesota to its 12th game with double-digit hits in the 2016 campaign and three of its last four tilts.
The Maroon and Gold struck first in the top of the second inning when Smith reached on a perfectly executed bunt single and was brought in by Traxler, who fended off a seven-pitch at-bat before launching his first career home run to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead.
Utah Valley (11-10) responded in its next two chances at the plate with three runs apiece, highlighted by a three-run homer, in the second and third stanzas to make it a 6-2 game.
The Gophers tied it back up in the top of the fourth when they scored four runs on as many hits. After Smith walked and Traxler singled, Luke Pettersen moved them over on a sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Riley Smith then stepped up on the ensuing at-bat and drilled a double to left field to clear the bases.
Later in the inning, Fiedler racked up an RBI single with two outs and stole second to put himself into scoring position. The move paid off as Stemper crushed a double to the left-center gap that brought in Fiedler and knotted the game up at 6-6.
The Wolverines regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead for good as they reeled off eight more runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth frames before closing out the game in the ninth, 15-6.
Tyler Hanson took the loss on the mound after surrendering six earned runs in 3.0 innings pitched, while adding a pair of strikeouts.
Minnesota returns to Minneapolis after concluding its spring break trip. The Gophers host Augsburg in a newly-scheduled game on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Siebert Field before hitting the road to Missouri State for a three-game series in Springfield, Mo., March 25-27.
