“Why not us!?” said the Gopher softball team after defeating LSU 5-3 Friday evening in Minneapolis.
Minnesota’s victory over the Tigers gives them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Super Regional series, putting them within one victory of reaching the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.
The hero was senior Maddie Houlihan, who smacked a game-tying solo home run in the third inning and laced an RBI double off the wall in right field to cut LSU’s lead to 3-2 in the fourth inning.
Maddie Houlihan showing us how to start things off!#NCAASoftball | @GopherSoftball pic.twitter.com/FZhQnA0oWo
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2019
We are TIED in Minneapolis… and bases are loaded!#NCAASoftball | @GopherSoftball pic.twitter.com/4IrMKn58Rh
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2019
Gophers on top!!! 😱#NCAASoftball | @GopherSoftball pic.twitter.com/6yXAckwtkG
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2019
Minnesota added two more runs in the four-run fourth inning and shut down LSU the final three innings for their first win in the Super Regional round – ever.
The Gophers take their first Super Regional win in program history!#NCAASoftball | @GopherSoftball pic.twitter.com/O3gXq2Zsuc
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 24, 2019
Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 5 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.
The College World Series features the eight remaining teams in the NCAA softball tournament, which started last week with 64 teams. The final eight will meet in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, next week.
