March 16, 2008

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific baseball team missed a chance to sweep the Minnesota Golden Gophers as the Tigers fell to Minnesota 11-5 on Sunday, Mar. 16.

The loss dropped Pacific to 4-13 on the season, while Minnesota moved to 5-7.

After holding the Golden Gopher bats to just one run in the first two games of the series, Minnesota scored in each of the first four innings on Sunday to race out to a 7-0 lead.

Pacific pushed across their first run of the afternoon in the bottom half of the fourth. Freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) reached on a infield single to short. Longmire stole second, then moved to third on an overthrow from Minnesota catcher Jeff DeSmidt. With two down, senior John Joines (Milpitas, Calif.) singled to short to bring home Longmire and make it 7-1.

Minnesota tacked on three runs in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh to push their lead to 11-1.

Pacific responded with two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth but could never deliver the big blow needed to get back into the contest. Pacific left 14 runners on base in the loss.

Minnesota starter Dustin Brabender (2-1) earned the win, allowing one run on five hits and two walks in five innings.

Pacific starter, junior Cole Akins (Seattle, Wash.) suffered the loss (0-4) surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits in two innings.

Joines led the Tigers' offense with a 3-for-4 performance and one RBI.

The Tigers return to action on Tuesday, Mar. 18 as Pacific travels to Reno, Nevada to take on the Nevada Wolfpack at 6 p.m. The game can be followed via gametracker or audio broadcast at pacifictigers.com.