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1999 Big Ten Conference
Softball Tournament


Alumni Field, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, May 14 -- 1:30 p.m. -- Game 1


Penn State logo
Penn State 1
No. 3 seed
    vs.    
Minnesota logo
Minnesota 2
No. 2 seed

Score by Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Penn State (34-21) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 1
Minnesota (44-18) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 5 1

Boxscore and Play-By-Play | Photos from bigtenchampionships.com


Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Event: Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament (Game 1)
Result: Minnesota 2, Penn State 1
Records: Minnesota (44-18); PSU (34-21)
Next Minn. Game: Saturday, May 15 -- vs. Michigan-Iowa winner (10 a.m.)
Next PSU Game: Saturday, May 15 -- vs. Michigan-Iowa loser (12:30 p.m.)

Gophers Ride Pitching, Defense to Win Over Lions

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No. 2 seed Minnesota pushed across single runs in the first and fifth, and clutch pitching by Steph Klaviter and great defense put the Golden Gophers over the top for a 2-1 win over No. 3 seed Penn State Friday (May 14) in the Big Ten Conference Softball Tournament. Minnesota (44-18) advances to face the winner of the Friday's 4 p.m. Michigan-Iowa game at 10 a.m. Saturday, while the Nittany Lions (34-21) will play the Michigan-Iowa loser at 12:30 p.m.

The anticipated pitchers duel between Klaviter and Penn State's Jaci Kalp materialized as just that with the two hurlers combining for 16 strikeouts, only one walk and two earned runs allowed.

Minnesota's Stephanie Beeler, the all-time home run leader in the Big Ten (42), put the Gophers on top in the first inning with her 12th home run of the year. Beeler's shot over the leftfield fence came on a 2-2 count with two outs.

Penn State answered by breaking through against Klaviter in the third to knot the contest at one apiece. Nittany Lion third basemen Jennifer Tipkin, 2-for-3 on the game, singled with one out to get the inning rolling. Tipkin advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by leadoff hitter Jodie Ricciardi, and aggressive baserunning allowed Tipkin to take third when Minnesota failed to cover the bag. Susan Shuplock then came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit RBI single and bring Penn State even 1-1.

Minnesota threatened to regain the lead in the top of the fourth but Angel Braden was stranded at third when Kalp induced a groundout to the second basemen and then struck out Minnesota rightfielder Morgan Holden. However, Minnesota broke through with the game-winner in the fifth, aided by a Nittany Lion error. Designated hitter Erin Brophy reached on an error by Penn State shortstop Terra Pracht and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Meghan Smith. Golden Gopher leadoff hitter Steph Midthun delivered her second hit of the day to drive in Smith and give Minnesota a 2-1 lead.

The sixth inning brought about Penn State's last serious threat. Catcher Colleen Kersey delivered her second hit of the afternoon, a one-out double over the leftfielder's head. After a groundout to third base, Pracht avenged her earlier miscue with a shot up the middle for a base hit, but a strong throw from Minnesota centerfielder Midthun gunned Kersey down at the plate for the third out, preserving Minnesota's tenuous one-run lead.

Klaviter regained her rhythm in the bottom of the seventh and set Penn State down in order to send the Golden Gophers to the winner's bracket final.


Q U O T E S

Penn State Head Coach Robin Petrini
"I thought my kids played the game very well, and I think that Minnesota came up with one more play than we did. That was the difference in the game."

"You get to this level and there are not going to be a lot of runs scored. They had to fire a strike to home plate (from centerfield) to get us out so we couldn't tie it up (at 2-2). I thought that both teams played very, very well. I thought it was a very clean game, but they just came up with one more play than we did."

"Their go-ahead run was on a miscue by us, and then they got the key hit when they needed to. I thought it was a great game, and I am really proud of my team. For their first trip to the Big Ten Tournament and with all this hoopla, I thought my kids played as tough as I could have possible asked them to play."

PSU Pitcher Jaci Kalp
On the home run pitch ... "It was a good pitch. Usually when I throw a bad pitch, I get scared, but that was a good pitch. She (Beeler) is a good hitter."

Minnesota co-Head Coach Lisa Bernstein
"I think it was a great ballgame. Penn State came out and did a good job. Kalp kept the ball around the plate and got a lot of key strikeouts, but we kept plugging away offensively and made some good defensive plays. The kids are loose and relaxed and playing with a lot of confidence right now. We are looking forward to being on the field tomorrow morning."

On the number of strikeouts ... "She (Kalp) threw a good outside pitch today, and the umpire was giving it to her. We didn't make the adjustment. In one at-bat, a player should be able to make an adjustment, but sometimes players get a little stubborn and are convinced they know their zone. You need to be able to walk up there with every pitch and please an umpire. We started to get a little more of a feel for that as the game progressed, but we will needed to take the bat off of our shoulders."

Minnesota centerfielder Steph Midthun
On the play from centerfield to home plate ... "I love it when I look up and see the girl rounding third and heading toward home. It is probably one of the biggest thrills."

Minnesota Shortstop Shannon Beeler
On the pitch she hit for a home run ... "I wasn't really surprised at the pitch. Pretty much all year pitchers have been throwing right at me and don't throw around me too much. With two strikes, I am just thinking to get a solid piece of the ball, and apparently I did that time."


N O T E S

Penn State

• The loss for Kalp broke an eight-game winning streak on the mound.

• Today's game was the first time Penn State has participated in the Big Ten Softball Tournament.

Last updated: Friday, 14-May-1999 20:36:05 EDT


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