For better or for worse, the growing pains have already set in for the Minnesota softball team through the seasonâĂ„Ă´s first two weeks. The Gophers were shut out three times and lost four of their five games at the Florida Atlantic âĂ„ĂşKick-OffâĂ„Ăą Classic this weekend. Minnesota (4-7) scored just three runs all weekend and left an average of six runners on base in the five games. âĂ„ĂşWeâĂ„Ă´re getting put in some different situations, and weâĂ„Ă´re learning through them,âĂ„Ăą co-head coach Lisa Bernstein said. âĂ„ĂşWe got a lot of little tests and challenges, and we were victorious in some and not so victorious in others, but weâĂ„Ă´ve got a hard-working group, a resilient group.âĂ„Ăą After scoring just one run in four games, Minnesota scored twice in the first inning of Sunday morningâĂ„Ă´s fifth-place game in Boca Raton, Fla. But a four-run sixth inning by Pittsburgh was too much for the Gophers to overcome in a 4-2 loss. The GophersâĂ„Ă´ only run in the first four games of the weekend gave them a 1-0 win over Ole Miss on Friday. Minnesota earned its third walk-off victory of the season by capitalizing on two Rebels errors in the bottom of the seventh inning. Gophers senior shortstop Abby Rehberger scored from second base when Rebels shortstop Lauren Grill made an errant throw on a two-out single by Gophers sophomore center fielder Dannie Skrove. Freshman pitcher Lacey Middlebrooks allowed just three hits and struck out nine batters in her first career shutout. Middlebrooks has all four of the teamâĂ„Ă´s wins this season, but she was on the other end of a pitching duel in a 1-0 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. She said she loves being in pitching duels, which will benefit her later in her career. âĂ„ĂşI would rather have those games that challenge me as a pitcher,âĂ„Ăą Middlebrooks said. âĂ„ĂşI wouldnâĂ„Ă´t trade those for any [other games].âĂ„Ăą Though the team didnâĂ„Ă´t put much on the scoreboard, the Gophers had 15 hits in the final two games after managing just nine in the first three. âĂ„ĂşWeâĂ„Ă´re hitting the ball throughout the lineup,âĂ„Ăą Bernstein said. Bernstein said the tough weekend was still good for the team. âĂ„ĂşThese were great games,âĂ„Ăą Bernstein said.
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Hitting struggles plague Gophers
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