Gopher softball 2023

[Gophearl]

5-3 going to bottom of 13th.

 

[Gophearl]

Den Hartog goes deep. 5-4 no outs

 

[Gophearl]

Gophers down to last out. Ehlke doubles off the wall.

 

[ClassOf98Gopher]

Ehlke is a hitter.

 

[rowdaboat]

Den Hartog goes deep. 5-4 no outs

shocked she didn't drag bunt

 

[rowdaboat]

Burnett chased balls all 3 swings after a 4 pitch walk

 

[Gophearl]

Gophers lose 5-4

 

[#2Gopher]

Well, they didn't give up like some people did going into the bottom of the inning. Sucks that they lost though. Now need to come back on Saturday.

 

[rwlarson]

McNeese is good. We needed to play better than we did to beat them. Most likely we will have another chance tomorrow.

 

[golden10]

Imagine they would see Tate again tomorrow if there is a rematch. Hopefully make some adjustments

 

[WayOfTheGopher]

Well, they didn't give up like some people did going into the bottom of the inning. Sucks that they lost though. Now need to come back on Saturday.

Usually how it goes, had six innings to do something and only when they are down do their bats sorta wake up.

 

[WayOfTheGopher]

Schwartz did everything she could just waiting for the offense to wake up and her one bad inning turns out to be the difference.

 

[mngolf]

Odds are highly against them now. Really had to have this one. Tate rarely threw a strike but gophers kept swinging anyway.

 

[rowdaboat]

Nebraska blew 5-0 lead and lost to Wichita

 

[Nipomo 56]

McNeese scores they 2 seem to have figured Schwartz out

I think they left Schwartz in too long. This was 3rd time through the lineup. I thought it would have been better to re-insert Hambrick. For me the gophers made a critical mistake in the 5th inning when Valencia led off with a double and they didn’t sacrifice her to third. They were down one run and you’re the home team. Play for the tie first, then the win.

 

[ClassOf98Gopher]

I think they left Schwartz in too long. This was 3rd time through the lineup. I thought it would have been better to re-insert Hambrick.

I thought, by rule, a team can only reinsert players off their starting lineup list?

 

[rwlarson]

Error on catch, misplay on the ricochet, hesitation on the relay, yet still out by a couple feet great send decision coach...

We miss Reili Gardner bad for situations just like this one. But I will defend the decision to send the runner anyway. Two outs, #9 hitter up next, bottom of the 6th. Make the defense make two good throws. If they don’t, you are up one going to McNeese’s last at bat. If it were the tying run, I wouldn’t have sent Connell, but I would have sent Gardner, Burnett, DenHartog, or Bradley.

 

[rwlarson]

Imagine they would see Tate again tomorrow if there is a rematch. Hopefully make some adjustments

I watched McNeese’s conference championship game, which Tate pitched, and she looked exactly the same in this game as she did in that one.

Facing a conference opponent, who should have more familiarity with her, they also consistently chased balls in the dirt, even worse than we did.

When hitters had success against her, it was because they either attacked the first pitch when she tried to get ahead by throwing a strike, or waited until she was behind in the count and had to come up.

I’m sure our coaches and players watched the same tape, and likened her to Maddie Schwartz, who we had a great plan for this year, but it’s still difficult for most hitters or she wouldn’t have a 1.35 ERA.

Given the number of hard ground balls and line drives we hit against Vallejo, we should have scored several more runs earlier in the game, but that’s the way it goes in some games. We have now seen both of their pitchers for an extended period, hit one of them hard, and finally started to figure the other one out. I really like our chances in the expected rematch tonight.

 

[ClassOf98Gopher]

We have now seen both of their pitchers for an extended period, hit one of them hard, and finally started to figure the other one out. I really like our chances in the expected rematch tonight.

And as I have said for years now, the aspiration for fans of Big Ten teams in the NCAA softball/baseball tournament should generally be to play four or five games. Being the last team eliminated is a very good end result in a regional and by fans having that more realistic expectation, they will enjoy the weekend more.

Players on the other hand need to expect to win every game.

 

[rowdaboat]

Chloe 2 out RBI single vs FSU

 

[4EverAGopher]

Ehlke is a hitter.

Unfortunately, her four hits could not bring in a run for us yesterday. It felt like she was on an island all by herself in that game.

 

[4EverAGopher]

One of my Credit Cards just offered me a $9.99 credit a month for 6 months for a Hulu Bundle Subscription. So I didn't pass it up and now have ESPN+.

NW ready to end this game in the top of the 7th vs Kentucky. 1 out and up 10-7...finally winning 10-8.

 

[rwlarson]

I have thought for several games now that we’d be better off if DenHartog and Krapf switched places in the batting order. That way, not only do you make teams pitch to Krapf more, but when Ehlke, who hits a lot of doubles but not many home runs, you have DenHartog more likely to be a base runner for her than Krapf. Then switch Ehlke and Strelow and Maddie’s hits should produce more runs.

 

[4EverAGopher]

I have thought for several games now that we’d be better off if DenHartog and Krapf switched places in the batting order. That way, not only do you make teams pitch to Krapf more, but when Ehlke, who hits a lot of doubles but not many home runs, you have DenHartog more likely to be a base runner for her than Krapf. Then switch Ehlke and Strelow and Maddie’s hits should produce more runs.

I was just going to post something on your idea. It is hard to put together a lineup with this team because they have individually had their shinging moments at the plate. However, I was thinking that Strelow should not be ahead of Ehlke. Right now the hottest bats for us are Chavez, DenHartog and Ehlke, correct or not?

I think the opportunities are there for us to play some small ball, but we just don't do that enough.

 

[rowdaboat]

One of my Credit Cards just offered me a $9.99 credit a month for 6 months for a Hulu Bundle Subscription. So I didn't pass it up and now have ESPN+.

NW ready to end this game in the top of the 7th vs Kentucky. 1 out and up 10-7...finally winning 10-8.

Some of the announcers aren't very bright but the 7 innings stream is solid on espn+

 

[mngolf]

Some of the announcers aren't very bright but the 7 innings stream is solid on espn+

BTN's Jennie Ritter doing the Evanston region.

But I thought the ones doing the Gophers last night were pretty dumb.

 

[rowdaboat]

3-1 Washington final

 

[4EverAGopher]

With one out in the top of the fifth, the up and down hitting for the Gophers leaves bases loaded. Yesterday Ehlke had the hottest bat and today she is hitless with three at bats. Like I stated before, it has been so hard for this team to string hits and runs together consistently throughout the whole season.

Pease looks good out there. She is why we are in this game 2-0 going to the top of the 6th.

 

[Gophearl]

We are leaving a lot of runners on base.

 

[ClassOf98Gopher]

We are leaving a lot of runners on base.

But… Pease is throwing a no-no.