Gophers Win Slugfest At Richmond 13-12

(GopherSports.com) -- The University of Minnesota baseball team held on to win a slugfest at Richmond, 13-12. The Golden Gophers (7-9) hit four home runs and the Spiders (6-7) three in the series opener at Shepherd Stadium.

After falling behind 3-0 on unearned runs, the Gophers surged to a 7-3 lead on six hits during the fourth. With one out, Matt Fiedlerwas hit by pitch. Michael Handel and Tony Skjefte followed with back-to-back doubles, Skjefte's plating two runs.

Tyler Hanson then launched the first of the home runs to give the Gophers their first lead. Jordan Smith walked, and Matt Halloran, Matt Stemper and Fiedler each hit a single.

The Gophers unleashed a barrage of home runs in the sixth. Halloran led off with a homer, and Fiedler and Skjefte each hit one with a man on base. Micah Coffey added an RBI single, Stemper doubled and Handel singled as the Gophers batted nine and pushed the lead to 13-4.

Richmond stormed back with seven consecutive runs. The Spiders got one run back in the sixth, four in the seventh and three in the eighth. Kyle Adams, who went 4-for-5, hit his second home run of the game in the seventh. Jansen Fraser, who pinch hit in the seventh, hit a three-run home run in the eighth to bring Richmond within one run.

The Gophers made a "strike `em out, throw `em out" double play to end the eighth. Brian Glowicki struck out Kurtis Brown, and Halloran threw out Doug Kraeger trying to steal.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Spiders hit two one-out singles. But the Gophers turned a 6-4-3 double play to close out the game. Glowicki pitched two innings and notched his second save of the year. He entered the game with a four-run lead and two runners on before the Fraser home run.

Fiedler, who started in right field and returned there after pitching two innings, earned the win. In addition to batting 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs, he pitched two hitless innings in relief of Toby Anderson. Anderson allowed four runs, only one earned, in an injury-abbreviated start.

Peter Bayer took the loss for Richmond after giving up seven runs in the fourth. Zak Sterling pitched a short start by design, going three hitless innings.

NOTABLES
*The last time Minnesota hit four home runs in a game was at North Dakota State on April 28, 2010.

*Redshirt freshman right-hander Joe Martinson made his collegiate debut. He recorded the final out of the seventh inning and started the eighth.

*Right-hander Cody Campbell was the first Gopher pitcher, other than two-way players Fiedler and Tyler Hanson, to record a plate appearance this season. Campbell was entered in the second spot in the lineup after a series of substitutions removed Minnesota's designated hitter. He drew a walk in the seventh inning.

*Stemper played three positions during today's game. He moved to both right field and left field after starting at catcher. He hit 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Skjefte, who hit 2-for-5, moved to left field for part of the game before going back to third, where he started.

*Coffey's base hit and RBI were the first of his career in those categories.

UP NEXT
Minnesota and Richmond will conclude their midweek series with a game starting at 2 p.m. CT Wednesday.