By: Nate Gotlieb
Sophomore shortstop Michael Handel drove in three runs as the Gophers defeated North Dakota State 5-3 at Siebert Field on Wednesday for their sixth straight win.
Minnesota (24-13) overcame a slow offensive start to sweep its season series with North Dakota State. The Gophers beat the Bison 4-2 at the Metrodome on Feb. 27.
Minnesota is now 4-1 at the new Siebert Field.
Head coach John Anderson said he was impressed with the pitching staff’s performance Tuesday after a week of no games.
“It’s hard to stay sharp when you don’t get work,” he said. “I thought, overall, we pitched well and played pretty good defense.”
Minnesota used five pitchers Tuesday. They combined to give up three earned runs and five hits while striking out nine.
North Dakota State used eight pitchers Tuesday, which kept the Gophers’ hitters uncomfortable, Handel said.
Playing for the first time since April 16, the Gophers’ offense was sluggish early in the game, recording one hit in the first four innings.
Minnesota finally broke through in the fifth inning, thanks in part to one of three North Dakota State fielding errors.
With the Gophers down 1-0, senior Troy Larson reached on an error by North Dakota State’s third baseman. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.
The Gophers took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when Handel drove in sophomore second baseman Connor Schaefbauer with a single.
Handel gave the Gophers a 4-1 lead in the seventh, drilling a fastball over the left-field fence for a two-run home run on a 3-1 count. The Gophers added another run in the inning when pinch-runner Jake Bergren scored on a Dan Olinger single.
North Dakota State scored two runs in the eighth, but Gophers senior closer Billy Soule shut the door on a potential comeback in the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Soule induced a 6-4-3 double play and struck out the game’s final batter.
The Gophers’ winning streak dates back to an April 7 win at Northwestern. They have held their opponents to 1.7 runs per game during the streak.