BTN.com staff, May 16, 2015
The No.15/11 Minneosta softball team dropped its second game of NCAA Tournament play to No. 12 overall seed and regional host Arizona, 5-1, at Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. Saturday.
The Gophers will play the winner of an elimination game between New Mexico State and St. John's Saturday evening at 7:30 CT for a spot in Sunday's regional championship against the Wildcats.
Following a scoreless first inning, Katiyana Mauga got Arizona on the board first in the bottom of the second with a solo home run. The Wildcats put two more runners on base before an out was recorded, but Sara Groenewegen got out of the inning by retiring the next three batters in order.
Minnesota evened the score in the third with an RBI ground out by Danielle Parlich, but could not muster any more offense.
UA got back on the board in the third with a bases-loaded walk by Chelsea Goodacre. Nikki Anderson entered the game with the bases loaded and just one out, but got out of the jam by inducing a 4-3 double play.
The 2-1 score held until Arizona pushed across two more runs in the fifth. A Kellie Fox RBI single in the sixth capped the scoring.
Groenewegen was dealt her sixth loss of the season, moving her record to 29-6. She struck out four while allowing two runs in 2.1 innings of work. UA hurler Trish Parks improved to 15-5 with a complete-game effort.
The loss dropped the Gophers' road record to 19-2 on the season. It was their first loss in seven games against Pac-12 opponents. They are now 11-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
