MaKenna Partain went 6-for-7 over two games Sunday with three doubles, a triple and a home run, and the Gophers softball team swept a doubleheader from Michigan State, winning 7-1 and 9-5 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
With the doubleheader needed following two days of weather postponements, Partain had three hits and two RBI in each game. The second baseman had two doubles and a triple in the first and a single, double and home run in the second. She scored three runs in all and also stole a base in each game.
"Today was her day to not only get on base but actually hit people in and score herself," Gophers coach Jamie Trachsel said of Partain, the leadoff hitter. "She is an all-around player."
Emma Burns homered and drove in four runs for the Gophers (29-10, 10-1 Big Ten) in the second game. They trailed the Spartans (15-24, 3-8) 5-3 in the fourth inning before tying the score on a two-run single from Natalie DenHartog, then taking the lead for good on Burns' RBI single. Burns added a three-run homer in the sixth inning to make a winner of Amber Fiser, who gave up two hits in 3 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief of Sydney Smith.
In the first game, Maddie Houlihan hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the second inning to back another strong outing by Fiser, who gave up five hits and three walks while striking out 13 over seven innings. With victories in both games, Fiser is 18-6 on the season.
U baseball loses pair
The Illinois baseball team used a six-run fourth to rout the Gophers 13-3 at Siebert Field, sweeping a doubleheader after winning the opener 4-2.
The Gophers (14-17, 6-4 Big Ten) committed three errors in the second game that led to five unearned runs.
In the opener, Illinois' Andy Fisher gave up two runs on 10 hits over six innings, and the Illini scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to drop Gophers righthander Max Meyer's record to 3-2. Cam McDonald had three hits for Illinois (21-11, 2-5), including the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning.
The teams complete the series at noon Monday.
Etc.
• Josip Krstanovic earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jack Winkler at No. 1 singles, and the Gophers men's tennis team beat host Michigan State 6-1 to improve to 15-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten. … The Gophers women's tennis team fell to 8-1 at home with a 6-1 loss to Illinois.
• The Gophers men's golf team finished sixth out of 13 teams at the Rutherford Intercollegiate in State College, Pa. Lincoln Johnson tied for 16th place at 4-over-par 217. … The Gophers women ended 11th in the 12-team Lady Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.
• Augustana won its ninth consecutive NSIC women's tennis tournament, beating second-seeded Minnesota State Moorhead 4-0 in Minnetonka.
