Two Gophers wrestlers will not face criminal charges after an investigation into an alleged assault of two men in Dinkytown on Jan. 25.
Members of the Gophers men’s athletic department declined comment on the charge dismissal Sunday, but said they will make further comment Monday.
— Allison Younge
Softball
Gophers women’s softball coach Lisa Bernstein-O’Brien said she thought this weekend’s National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic would be a good barometer to test her 18th-ranked squad’s talent.
Despite a 2-4 record in the tournament held at Columbus, Ga., Bernstein-O’Brien’s squad played well against some of the top teams in the nation.
On Sunday morning, the Gophers’ bats woke-up early and brunched on some Indiana pitching as they whipped the Hoosiers 9-1. Laura Peters went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in three runs.
The Gophers faced Nicholls State in their last game on Sunday and lost 2-1.
Amber Hegland drove in Peters to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. However, in the top of the sixth Steph Klaviter gave up a two-run homer, providing the winning margin.
The Gophers started the tourney by dropping a 5-3 game to No. 6 Oklahoma. Klaviter suffered her first loss of the season in that game.
Minnesota bounced back later in the day and beat Auburn 8-2. Senior Wendy Logue took the win, pushing her record to 5-2.
Saturday provided two one-run losses, as the Gophers lost 3-2 to Nebraska and 2-1 to No. 2 Washington.
Washington is coached by former Gophers coach Teresa Wilson and Bernstein-O’Brien was hoping to knock the Huskies off. But the Gophers were victims of two errors which aided in the Washington victory.
Against Nebraska, Klaviter put the Gophers in an early hole by giving up a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. Logue replaced Klaviter after the home run and promptly gave up a solo dinger to the next batter.
Logue settled down and didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way, but the Gophers failed to mount any sort of offense.
The Gophers, 14-7, head to College Station, Texas, for the Texas A&M Aggie Invitational on March 6-8.
— Michael Dougherty
Baseball
The Gophers baseball team went 1-2 over the weekend, losing 4-3 and 14-10 to San Diego before rebounding for an 8-3 win. Minnesota won game one of the series Thursday, 3-2.
Ben Birk’s six shutout innings in relief sparked the Gophers to the victory after starter Kai Freeman was touched up for three runs and eight hits in three innings of work.
Right fielder Craig Selander led the way offensively with two hits and two RBIs, including his second home run of the year.
The Gophers host the Hormel Classic next weekend at the Metrodome in their first home action since Feb. 16.
Tennis team loses
The Gophers women’s tennis team fell 8-1 to No. 16 Notre Dame on Saturday, losing all but the No. 1 doubles match.
In that match, Minnesota’s Nora Sauska and Alice Rangsithienchai defeated the Notre Dame doubles team of Jennifer Hall and former Gopher Tiffany Gates by a score of 8-6.
— Michael Rand