Box Score

The DBU Patriots were swept by the University of Minnesota at Patriot Field for the first time since 2006. The Gophers defeated the Patriots on Saturday afternoon in a comeback win, 11-9. With the loss, the Patriots fall to 12-6 on the season. The Gophers improve to 13-6 on the year.

Starting pitcher Sophomore Jared Stafford pitched four innings allowing seven runs on seven hits with three strike outs. Junior Michael LaCourse pitched one inning in relief allowing one run off one hit, and Freshman Michael Smith added two scoreless innings allowing only two hits. Sophomore Chris Haney was stuck with the loss moving him to 2-1 on the year. Haney pitched the eighth and ninth innings allowing three runs on five hits.

Sophomore Jason Krizan started the scoring as he led off the second inning for the Patriots hitting a solo homerun, his fifth of the season. Junior Travis Meiners walked, then Junior Ryan Thompson hit a single up the middle to leave runners on first and second to set up for a Freshman Ben Mrachek two RBI double. Junior Austin Knight hit a double to push Mrachek across the plate to give the Patriots a 4-0 lead.

The Gophers responded with three runs in the third off of Stafford.

In the bottom of the fourth the Patriots blasted two homeruns to extend their lead, 8-4. Senior Brandon Bantz hit a two run homerun scoring Thompson on the play after he reached on a single. Then Junior Ryan Goins belted a two run homerun over the center field wall, his seventh of the season, scoring Junior Ryan Enos after a double.

Minnesota managed four runs in the fifth inning off Stafford to erase the Patriot lead to only one, 8-7.

Meiners stepped up in the fifth and hit his first homerun of the season giving the Patriots a little breathing room, but the Golden Gophers bounced back in the sixth as they added one run of their own leaving the score, 9-8.

The Gophers managed to take their first lead of the game in the top of the eighth as they scored two runs, and added one more in the ninth to finish off the Patriots, 11-9.

The Patriots are back in action on Tuesday, March 21, as they travel to Austin, Texas, to take on the University of Texas Longhorns. The first pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m.