Leadoff hitter Jack Spanier finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and made key plays at shortstop to help Minnesota defeat St. Thomas 15–5 at Siebert Field. | Photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletics/Matt Krohn,

Gophers handle Tommies after early inning woes

Minnesota responds to shaky start with explosive middle innings in 15–5 win over St. Thomas.

By Dylan Petersen | Sports Reporter

Minnesota was on the ropes, trailing 5–4 to crosstown rival St. Thomas in the sixth inning, before Ty Allen launched a no-doubt home run to left field to tie the game and ignite an eight-run rally in a 15–5 win at Siebert Field.

The start, however, belonged to the Tommies.

Jonathan Dobis opened the game with back-to-back walks and left without recording an out. With the bases loaded, Owen Bond’s sacrifice fly and Joe Roder’s RBI double quickly put St. Thomas ahead 2–0.

Minnesota responded quickly. Weber Neels delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 2–1 and keep the Gophers within reach early.

“We stayed confident through the whole game, even with some early inning struggles. We knew we were going to take care of business though,” said Jack Spanier, Gopher infielder and leadoff hitter.

Minnesota took its first lead in the third inning. Easton Richter tied the game with an RBI groundout before Neels came through again with an RBI single. Jameson Martin followed with an RBI singles to give the Gophers a 4–2 lead.

Caden Capomaccio delivered 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, giving up two runs on three hits as Minnesota rallied for a 15–5 win over crosstown rival St. Thomas at Siebert Field. | Photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletics/Matt Krohn

But St. Thomas answered right back.

Roder launched a three-run home run to left field to give the Tommies a 5–4 lead in the fifth inning..

“I saw the ball well early on and I was especially jacked up to hit a home run at Siebert Field,” Roder said. “It felt great hearing a loud cheer from the Tommies fans.”

Roder said the team came in with an aggressive mindset.

“No matter how our season has been, we’re still going to come out firing against the Gophers,” he said. “And we did just that.”

That lead did not last long.

Minnesota’s offense exploded in the sixth inning. Ty Allen led off with a no-doubt solo home run to tie the game, which sparked a rally that quickly got out of hand for St. Thomas. Richter followed with a two-run double to give Minnesota the lead, and the Gophers kept the pressure on with a sacrifice groundout, a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk. Michael Lippe capped the inning with a two-run single as Minnesota scored eight runs to take a 12–5 lead.

Spanier said that approach is part of his role at the top of the lineup.

“I just try to make the little things happen for my team,” he said. “Singles, stolen bases, diving for ground balls — whatever I can do to help us win goes a long way.”

Minnesota added two more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to reach 15, taking advantage of control issues from the Tommies’ pitching staff. The Gophers finished with 11 hits and drew 21 walks in the win.

“It was awesome to see that many fans out for the Siebert Field opener. It’s cool seeing a lot of St. Thomas fans too as this rivalry keeps growing.” –Jack Spanier, infielder and leadoff hitter

Freshman Nathan O’Donnell earned the win with a scoreless outing, while Ethan Felling closed the game in the eighth, striking out three to secure the run-rule victory.

Spanier also pointed to the new atmosphere compared to US Bank Stadium as a boost.

“It was awesome to see that many fans out for the Siebert Field opener,” he said. “It’s cool seeing a lot of St. Thomas fans too as this rivalry keeps growing.”

After falling behind early, Minnesota scored 14 of the game’s final 17 runs to secure the 15–5 win.

Minnesota returns to Siebert Field this weekend for Big Ten play against Ohio State.

GAMEBOX

• Score: Gophers 15, Tommies 5
• Significance: Minnesota and St. Thomas are crosstown rivals, and some people believe that St. Thomas is catching up to Minnesota.
• Key stat: The Gophers walked 21 times in the game.
• Key play: Ty Allen no-doubt home run to start the sixth inning Minnesota explosion.
• Key player: Jack Spanier went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one stolen base, highlighting his impact on the game.