Minnesota forces 2:50pm ET rubber match by winning 13-2 in a 7-inning complete game effort from Gopher lefty Connor Wietgrefe
By Carl James @jovian34 April 21st, 2024
Indiana started the first game of Sunday’s double-header by loading the bases with nobody out. The good news for the Hoosiers ended there as Connor Wietgrefe would get out of that jam with no damage and toss a 7-inning complete game gem to put the Gophers in a good place to take a B1G series.
Indiana Hoosiers 2, Minnesota Golden Gophers 13:
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score
Indiana was only out-hit 11-8, but the Gophers were significantly more efficient at converting base runners to plated runs. Graduate student righty start Ty Rybarczyk struck out 7 in three innings of work, but allow two home runs to the same Gopher, one also driving in a runner who reached by walk. All five Hoosier pitchers who saw action in the limited 6-innings of work allowed Gophers to score. Only Evan Whiteaker did not walk a batter. 6 walks and three wild pitches told much of the story on the day as the Hoosiers were outplayed in just about every facet of the contest.
Offensively, Nick Mitchell and Devin Taylor were able to get two hits each off of the lefty to pace the Hoosiers. In the first three innings the Hoosiers left a total of 5 runners in scoring position. This allowed Wietgrefe to settled in and save the Gopher bullen for the second game which will start about 2:50pm ET. Minnesota is trying to climb back into the B1G Tournament picture. Indiana is trying to desperately avoid a series loss against an RPI Quad-3 opponent and not become a target to miss the B1G Tournament themselves as the with each of these losses Indiana’s only path to the NCAA post season may be winning the B1G Tournament in Omaha in late May.