University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Northwestern
Gophers Outlast Wildcats for 6-5 Victory
4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score: Minnesota 6, Northwestern 5 
No. 25 Minnesota picked up its ninth win in its last 10 contests in a 6-5 defeat of Northwestern on Friday. The Gophers (23-11, 7-2 Big Ten) used hits from their top six hitters in the lineup to cage the Wildcats.
Matt Fiedler earned the win on the hill and improved his record to 6-2 on the season behind a performance of 6.2 innings, two hits, four runs and six strikeouts. Fiedler also added a single and a run at the dish.
Austin Athmann tallied his 12th multi-hit game of 2016 to pace the Maroon and Gold with two hits and one RBI. Toby Hanson and Connor Schaefbauer netted home runs and combined for half of the team's scoring output.
Northwestern (10-28, 2-11) scratched across a run and took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a leadoff triple was scored on a sacrifice fly.
That lead did not last long as Minnesota knotted it back up in the top of the third. With the first two batters retired, Fiedler drilled a single through the left side and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Athmann stepped to the dish and delivered an RBI single to right field with two strikes in the count to tie the game at 1-1.
The Gophers took the lead in their at-bat in the fifth stanza through just one swing. Schaefbauer hit a no-doubter over right field for his third homer of his career to give the road team a 2-1 lead.
Minnesota added to its lead in the sixth when it plated four runs on four extra-base hits. Athmann opened with a double and was followed by Hanson, who launched his first home run -- a two-run shot -- since February. Matt Stemper then laced a double to deep left-center and was scored when Micah Coffey smacked a triple to left field. Eddie Estrada brought in the inning's final run on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1, Gophers.
The Wildcats found their rhythm in the home half of the seventh. Northwestern drew three walks and loaded the bases before a pair of run-singles made it a one-run ballgame at 6-5.
Lucas Gilbreath worked a clean eighth inning to set up a dramatic ninth frame.
Minnesota's closer, Jordan Jess, was called upon with the game on the line and he was able to keep the Wildcats from scoring to earn his sixth save of the season.
Assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere reached a coaching milestone in the conference showdown as he occupied the third base coaching box for his 1,800th game.
The Gophers will resume their road swing tomorrow with a rematch against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.
