Gophers Beat Monmouth 8-4
(GopherSports.com) -- The Golden Gophers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and added two more multi-run innings in an 8-4 win against Monmouth. Minnesota (6-8) had 14 hits and moved to 1-1 at the PK5 Classic in Richmond, Va.
First baseman Toby Hanson hit 2-for-5 with two RBI doubles and a run, right fielder Matt Fiedler 3-for-3 with a run and two RBIs and center fielder Dan Motl 3-for-4 with three runs, an RBI and two stolen bases.
Left-hander Dalton Sawyer (3-2) earned the win with a 5 2/3-inning start. He allowed two runs, one of them earned, on five hits and three walks. Jordan Jess and Tyler Hanson finished out the game.
The Gophers scored their first batch of runs in the first inning. Motl and second baseman Connor Schaefbauer (2-for-4) each singled, with Motl taking off early and advancing to third on Schaefbauer's hit. Fiedler hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the first run. Toby Hanson's first double and a single by catcher Matt Halloran made it 3-0.
A pair of consecutive Minnesota errors in the third and a solo home run by the Hawks' Chris Gaetano in the fifth trimmed the lead to 3-2.
But the Gophers struck back with a two-run fifth. Toby Hanson's second double scored Motl. Fiedler and shortstop Michael Handel each walked, and Fiedler scored on a sacrifice fly by Halloran.
Left fielder Jordan Smith led off the sixth with a single. Motl, Fiedler and Handel each hit an RBI single during the inning. Schaefbauer, who was left on base after a triple in the third, walked and scored his second run of the game on Handel's hit.
Monmouth added a run each in the seventh and eighth but could not catch Minnesota. Starter Chris McKenna took the loss for the Hawks, going five innings and allowing five runs on nine hits.
NOTABLES
*Sawyer pitched 11 consecutive hitless innings before the Hawks' first hit of the day. He had last allowed a hit in the seventh inning of the Feb. 28 game at Florida Gulf Coast.
*Prior to today's outing, Jess had not yet allowed a run this season. His three strikeouts Sunday were a season high.
*The Gophers have recorded 11 or more hits in each of their last six games. They have scored seven or more runs in each of their last five games.
*Fiedler and Handel extended their hitting streaks to seven games. Smith has a six-game streak, and Skjefte five.
*Minnesota stole three bases Sunday and has eight steals during the PK5 Classic.
*The Hawks loaded the bases on three straight two-out singles in the fourth, but a fly ball to right got the Gophers out of a jam. The Gophers also got out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth.
*The Gophers loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth before the Hawks ended the inning.
UP NEXT
Minnesota will wrap up the PK5 Classic with a game against host VCU on Monday at 5:30 p.m. CT. The Gophers will face Richmond on Tuesday and Wednesday, with both games starting at 2 p.m. CT.
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