Behind clutch plays, finally a sweep

Whether it’s two games or one man, there’s no minimum size or scale necessary to embody the classic saying: “We’re going streaking!”

Though it wasn’t in the more tawdry context, the same streaking enthusiasm was likely present in the Minnesota locker room Wednesday evening after the team swept a double-header against Northwestern. The Gophers softball team (30-21, 8-8 Big Ten) finally put together its first winning streak in the Big Ten this year, even though it had previously won six out of seven conference series openers.

After a 3-0 win to start the day, sophomore catcher Kari Dorle hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh to give the Gophers a 4-3 lead entering the final half inning. Freshman Sara Moulton shut the door, getting the final out with runners on the corners in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.

Head coach Jessica Allister said she knew the deciding home run was gone when it hit bat, but Dorle said she couldn’t even see her long ball fly over the fence because of the sun.

“I was kind of looking for that inside pitch,” Dorle said. “The sun was right there, I only heard the ping of the bat.”

“Right then and there I knew we were going to win the game,” Moulton said of Dorle’s homerun. She followed through, finishing out the game for her second win on the day, giving her a school record-tying 27 wins on the year. The two wins also gave Minnesota its first Big Ten sweep since Indiana in March 2009.

Minnesota started out the double-header with its eighth consecutive win in a series opener, non-conference included.

The Gophers got their first run of the game on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the second inning and put up two more in the fourth.

It turned out that first run was all the offense Minnesota would need, as Moulton picked up her 14th shutout on the year, also tying a school record. The victory was Minnesota’s first win in Evanston since 2004.

The second game also started out in Minnesota’s favor. Natalie Neal kicked off the scoring in the second with a home run to left-center. The ball couldn’t hide behind the sun this time, as Neal said she knew she had her second long ball of the season right away.

The Gophers added another run in the inning, but this game wouldn’t be as easy as the first.

Northwestern tied up the game 2-2 on a two-run single by senior Michelle Batts. Minnesota took the lead right back with a run in the fourth, only to give it up again on an RBI groundout by Adrienne Monka.

But it was all the damage Monka, the No. 2 hitter in the country, could do on the day. She finished the games 0-2 with five walks and was hit by a pitch.

“We decided that we were going to make someone else beat us,” Allister said about Northwestern’s slugger, whose average is north of .500.

The score stayed tied until Dorle finally pushed Minnesota ahead for good with her ninth home run of the year.

The Gophers now have 30 wins in the season, the most they’ve put together since they won 33 in 2004, a number they can still pass. They’ll have to face national powerhouse Michigan next.

“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Allister said about their weekend matchup with the Wolverines. “We’re focused on today and enjoying today.”

Even if Michigan is ranked No. 2 in the country, they’ll have to deal with a Minnesota team that’s coming off its most inspired win of the season, and a freshman pitcher who’s on the precipice of rewriting the Gophers’ record books.