University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Ohio State
Gophers Edged by Buckeyes in Series Opener
5/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score: Ohio State 3, Minnesota 2 
Minnesota dropped the opening game of the series to Ohio State by a score of 3-2 at Siebert Field. The Gophers (33-17, 15-6 Big Ten) rattled off 10 hits in the duel on Thursday night.
Micah Coffey led the charge at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance that included a ground-rule double and an RBI single. Coffey extended his hitting streak to 13 games and has reached base safely in his last 15 contests.
Austin Athmann, Dan Motl and Connor Schaefbauer reach contributed a pair of hits, while Matt Stemper produced an RBI ground out.
On the hill, Matt Fiedler got the nod and went 6.1 innings, scattering seven hits and one earned run, while striking out seven. Lucas Gilbreath was tagged with the loss in relief after he pitched the final 2.2 innings with five hits, one earned run and three strikeouts.
The Buckeyes (37-16-1, 14-8) struck first in the top of the second on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
That lead was short-lived, however, as Minnesota tied things up in the home half. Athmann led off with a single to the left side. Coffey then stepped to the plate and knocked a double over the left fielder and the wall to put runners on second and third with zero outs. Stemper then was out on a ball to the shortstop, but it was enough to score Athmann from third to make it 1-1.
The next two innings came and went without any damage. Fiedler amassed six strikeouts through the first four innings to keep the Ohio State bats cool.
In the bottom of the fifth, the opening two batters were retired by ground outs to the second baseman. Fiedler and Athmann then combined for consecutive singles to center field and through the left side, respectively. Coffey came to the dish and delivered once again with a run-scoring single back up the middle to score Fiedler on a close play at the plate.
Through five frames, the score was 2-1 in favor of the Gophers.
The Buckeyes were able to knot the game back up at 2-2 in the top of the seventh by chasing out Fiedler and scoring on a passed ball.
In the home half, Minnesota put the first two batters on base once again through back-to-back singles by Motl and Schaefbauer, but came up empty as Ohio State induced a double play and a fly out to center.
After a clean eighth, highlighted by Athmann gunning down a runner trying to steal third to end the inning, the score remained level at 2-2.
In the ninth, the Buckeyes found holes in the defense and netted three bloop singles with two outs to score the go-ahead run.
The Maroon and Gold went down in order in the home half and fell, 3-2.
Despite the loss, Minnesota still controls its own destiny in search of a Big Ten regular season title. With Indiana falling on Thursday night, the Gophers can clinch the title by winning the final two games of the series.
Minnesota and Ohio State meet again tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at Siebert Field. The tilt is set to be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.
