University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
8-10
San Francisco
14-8
Novotny Fans 10 as Gophers Fall to Dons
3/22/2024 5:06:00 PM | Baseball
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Junior Tucker Novotny punched out 10 San Francisco hitters over 5.1 innings of work, but it was not enough as the Golden Gophers fell to the Dons, 6-4.
In addition to his 10 strikeouts, Novotny (0-3) went 5.1 innings, giving up five runs, all of them earned, on four hits and walking two for Minnesota (8-10).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gophers scored first for the tenth time this season, plating two runs in the third. Junior Jake Perry got it started with an RBI double, followed by an RBI single by senior Boston Merila to give Minnesota the 2-0 advantage.
The Dons answered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three to take the lead. Minnesota pushed across a run on sophomore Weber Neels' RBI double in the top of the fifth, which brought the score level at 3-3, but the Dons answered immediately with two runs of their own.
Sophomore Sam Hunt led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, his first of the year, to bring the 'U' back within one, but that was as close as the Gophers would get. San Francisco added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to seal the 6-4 win.
GAME NOTES
» Perry led the Golden Gophers, compiling three base knocks in the ballgame.
» Novotny fanned 10 Dons hitters, tying a career high.
» Junior Ike Mezzenga extended his on-base streak to 18 games.
» Four Minnesota hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» The Golden Gophers out-hit the Dons at an 11-5 clip.
» Minnesota pitchers limited San Francisco to just 1-for-8 (.125) with runners in scoring position.
UP NEXT
First pitch of game two with the Dons is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. PT on Saturday. Streaming is available on ESPN+ with live stats on GopherSports.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HAZELL, Andrew (3-1)
L: Novotny, Tucker (0-3)
S: BARRETT, Gabriel (3)
Batting:
2B: Perry, Jake 1 ; Neels, Weber 1
HR: Hunt, Sam 1
RBI: Perry, Jake 1 ; Neels, Weber 1 ; Merila, Boston 1 ; Hunt, Sam 1
SH: Hunt, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Counsell, Brady 1 ; Perry, Jake 2 ; Hunt, Sam 1
SB: Counsell, Brady 1
CS: Counsell, Brady 1
HBP: Hokenson, Kris 1
PO: Counsell, Brady 1
Batting:
3B: PELLETIER, C.E. 1
HR: KEIGHRAN, Patrick 1
RBI: FUNG, Matty 1 ; KEIGHRAN, Patrick 2 ; LEAX, Logan 1 ; PELLETIER, C.E. 1 ; MOORE, Tyvon 1
SH: MOORE, Tyvon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: AMARAL, JT 1 ; CAMPAGNA, Michael 2 ; KEIGHRAN, Patrick 1 ; THOMAS, Mattie 1 ; LEAX, Logan 1
HBP: CAMPAGNA, Michael 1 ; LEAX, Logan 1 ; PELLETIER, C.E. 2
