It took 13 innings to decide the opening game of the Seattle Regional in the NCAA women’s softball tournament as McNeese State defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 5-4 Friday night.
Minnesota left the tying run at second base in the bottom of the 13th, an inning that started with them trailing 5-3 only to have Natalie DenHartog start the inning with a long home run to cut the deficit to 5-4.
The Cowgirls went scoreless in eight straight innings before taking the lead with back-to-back doubles and then a single to go ahead 5-3 in the top of the 13th.
Minnesota now faces an elimination game Saturday against Washington or Northern Colorado. The first pitch Saturday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will again be streamed on ESPN+.
The Gophers led 1-0 after scoring on an error before McNeese tied the game 1-1 after a triple and a single in the second inning.
Kayla Chavez then smacked a solo homer just over the wall in left field to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead in the third, but McNeese responded with a two-run homer by Rylie Bouvier in the fourth.
GO YARD… TAKE LEAD, @McNeeseSoftball!! #RoadToWCWS x 🎥 ESPN+pic.twitter.com/tvhP07n01Q
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 19, 2023
Minnesota got a leadoff double from pinch hitter Nani Valencia to start the fifth but the next three batters went down in order and Valencia was left stranded in scoring position.
In the sixth, Jess Oakland reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Taylor Krapf ripped a single to center and Oakland scored the tying run.
Krapf was then thrown at home while trying to score all the way from first base on Maddy Elhke’s double off the base of the wall in left.
WHAT A RELAY! SHE'S OUT AT HOME. OTTO. REYNA. PHILLIPS!
Cowgirls run the relay to perfection and maintain parity as we head to the 7th.
đź“ş https://t.co/2xinLGyLo5
đź“Š https://t.co/xwVQitslDZ#EarnedEveryDay x @McNeeseSoftball x #RoadToWCWS pic.twitter.com/WPE5ziPIXB— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) May 20, 2023
