Gophers Use Long Ball to Halt Wolverines' 11-Game Winning Streak

Sunday, May 9

Minneapolis, Minn.

2:00 PM CT

Michigan

32-6, 0

Minnesota

26-10, 0

Michigan

Minnesota

Julia Jimenez (left), Bonnie Tholl (Michigan Photography)

Gophers Use Long Ball to Halt Wolverines' 11-Game Winning Streak

5/9/2021 5:50:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» Minnesota hit three home runs in a 7-3 victory that ended Michigan's 11-game winning streak.
» Julia Jimenez had two hits and an RBI Sunday and batted .583 (7-for-12) in the series.
» Lou Allan drove in the Wolverines' first run with a first-inning double.
» Michigan won three of four games in the weekend series to clinch its 22nd Big Ten championship.

Site: Minneapolis, Minn. (Jane Sage Cowles Stadium)
Score: #23 Minnesota 7, #19 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (32-6, 32-6 B1G), MINN (26-10, 26-10 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, May 14 -- vs. Rutgers (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- A day after wrapping up its 22nd Big Ten Conference championship, the No. 19-ranked University of Michigan softball team suffered a 7-3 loss in the series finale at No. 23 Minnesota on Sunday (May 9) at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Golden Gophers knocked out three home runs to end Michigan's season-best 11-game winning streak.

Michigan got on the scoreboard in the first inning, as senior Natalia Rodriguez drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on senior Lou Allan's sharp grounder for a double into the gap in left-center.

Minnesota responded quickly, however. After a leadoff walk, Makenna Partain and Natalie DenHartog hit back-to-back home runs to give the Golden Gophers a 3-1 lead. Katelyn Kemmetmueller's bid for third straight homer was foiled by junior center fielder Lexie Blair, who made a running catch near the top of the wall in left-center.

The Gophers continued their long-ball parade in the second, as Sydney Strelow took a 3-2 changeup from junior right-handed pitcher Alex Storako deep over the wall in left to make it 4-1. Strelow added another RBI in the third with a two-out single.

Storako (19-3) gave up five runs in two-plus innings and saw her winning streak end at 16 games, suffering her first loss since March 12 vs. Nebraska. Seniors Sarah Schaefer and Meghan Beaubien also saw action in the circle for the Wolverines.

After the Gophers added two runs in the fifth to go up 7-1, Michigan scored a pair of two-out runs in the sixth. With runners on first and third, sophomore Julia Jimenez continued her hot hitting with a line-drive single to right-center to plate one run, and the second runner came home when the ball got past the right fielder for an error. Jimenez had two hits in the game and was 7-for-12 (.583) in the series with four runs scored, six RBI and two home runs.

The Wolverines will close out their regular-season schedule at home against Rutgers, starting the four-games series with a 4 p.m. contest Friday (May 14) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field.