University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Wake Forest
Minnesota Drops Tilt to Wake Forest in Regional
6/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score: Wake Forest 5, Minnesota 3 
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Despite a rally in its final two chances at the plate, Minnesota fell to Wake Forest in the opening game of the NCAA College Station Regional, 5-3. The Gophers (34-21) tallied eight hits from seven different batters in the lineup on Friday afternoon.
Micah Coffey paved the way at the plate with a 2-for-4 showing that included a double and a stolen base. He improved his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games and has reached base safely in his last 20 contests.
Matt Fiedler, Dan Motl and Jordan Smith each tallied extra-base hits on the day. Fiedler and Smith each blasted home runs, while Motl contributed a double.
On the mound, Dalton Sawyer scattered six hits and four earned runs across 6.0 innings of work. The southpaw added five strikeouts and moved into third all-time for send-downs in a single season. He improved his senior season total to 112.
Lucas Gilbreath and Brian Glowicki combined to toss the final 3.0 innings and the duo allowed just one baserunner to go along with three strikeouts.
The opening two stanzas came and went without either team able to put a dent into the score line.
Wake Forest (35-25) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third on a two-run home run to left field with two outs.
The Demon Deacons threatened again by putting the first three runners on base in the top of the fourth. However, Sawyer buckled down and put the next three batters down swinging and keep the margin at two.
The designated road team extended its lead to 5-0 after plating three across the fifth and sixth innings, highlighted by two solo shots.
Despite going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the previous seven frames, the Gophers made waves in the eighth and nine stanzas.
In the eighth, Motl opened the hitting with a double to the right-center gap on a 2-2 count. Fiedler then stepped to the dish and drilled a no-doubt, two-run roundtripper over the left field wall to get the Maroon and Gold on the board.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Smith smacked his second home run of the season - a solo homer - over the right field fence to keep the momentum going. Alex Boxwell drew a four-pitch walk and moved to second base on a wild pitch to bring the tying run to the plate.
However, Minnesota then was induced into consecutive ground outs to cap the game at 5-3. The Gophers will now play either Binghamton or Texas A&M in an elimination game tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. in College Station, Texas.
