Gophers Lose To Cal Irvine In 12 Innings

(Gophersports.com) --The Golden Gophers (19-24) lost a two-run lead in the ninth, tied it in the bottom of the inning, then lost 6-5 in 12 against UC Irvine (27-16). Keston Hiura's ground-rule double scored Parker Coss for the final go-ahead run.

Second baseman Conner Schaefauer was 4-for-5 with three runs and a double, and Gophers starter Fred Manke pitched a career-high 6 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, including a Mitchell Holland home run, in the first, but scattered just three hits the rest of his start. Manke left the game with a 4-2 lead, which Minnesota took into the ninth.

Holland led off the Anteaters' ninth with a single to left, then scored on a ground-rule double by Jonathan Munoz. Jerry McClanahan walked. Then Evan Cassolato bunted toward pitcher Dalton Sawyer, whose throw to first glanced off Schaefbauer's glove and went into foul territory. Elliot Surrey, pinch running for Munoz, scored the tying run on the play.

Tyler Hanson relieved Sawyer. The Gophers retired UC Irvine's lead runner on a fielder's choice. Parker Coss then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 before Cole Kreuter was thrown out in the base paths.

Left fielder Matt Stemper started the Gophers' ninth with a single through the right side of the infield. Luke Pettersen pinch ran for him. Schaefbauer bunted right in front of the plate, and the ball took a hop backwards but stayed fair. He reached on a single and both he and Pettersen advanced an extra base on a throwing error by the catcher. Right fielder Matt Fiedler hit a sacrifice fly to score Pettersen and send the game to extra innings.

Minnesota had tied the game after being down 2-0 early. Schaefbauer scored in the first on a failed attempt to pick off catcher Matt Halloranat first. He scored the Gophers' next two runs, one on a Fiedler single in the third and one on a Halloran single in the fifth. Handel also scored in the fifth after a single, when Athmann hit a single of his own to give Minnesota a 4-2 lead.

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The series finale is scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m. CT Sunday.