“Win anyway” has been the mantra for Gophers softball since last week’s seeding snubbing and Saturday night’s controversial ball four call that led to the Gophers’ first loss in 27 games.
The loss meant the Gophers had to rattle off three straight wins to survive and advance in the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers took care of business with a 5-2 win over Louisiana Tech in their first game Sunday. But they again couldn’t get their bats going in a 1-0 loss to Alabama, ending their season far earlier than they had hoped.
“I think the unfortunate thing is our athletes didn’t get a chance to play at their home,” Gophers coach Jessica Allister said, via AL.com. “And it’s unfortunate that people sitting in a room can make that decision. I think it’s just sad because I think they deserved better.”
Allister added that the Gophers were mentally worn out because of the controversial snub that kept them from getting one of the top 16 seeds in the tournament despite being ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time and leading the country in wins.
The snub meant they had to go on the road instead of staying at home to host a regional, which has proved to be huge so far in the tournament with 14 of 16 host seeds (the top 16 seeds) advancing to the Super Regional. LSU and Oklahoma can make it a perfect 16 for 16 with wins Monday.
Minnesota finished with a program record of 56-5 record.
