Tsirigos Homers Twice as IU Falls to No. 7 Minnesota, 11-6

Friday, April 7

Minneapolis, Minn.

7:00 PM ET

Indiana University

17-19, 3-4

University of Minnesota

33-3, 6-1

Indiana

Minnesota

Tsirigos Homers Twice as IU Falls to No. 7 Minnesota, 11-6

4/7/2017 10:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Indiana Softball (17-19, 3-4 Big Ten) fell to No. 7 Minnesota (33-3, 6-1 Big Ten) in Friday night's series opener, 11-6. Senior CaraMia Tsirigos brought in four of Indiana's runs as she homered twice against the Golden Gophers.

It was the first multi-home run game of Tsirigos' career and the first for a Hoosier since Michelle Huber did so against Maryland on May 7, 2016. The two home runs brings her season total to seven, tying her career high set in 2016.

Tsirigos led off the second inning with Indiana's first hit of the day on a single to right. Junior Sarah Thompson put two on for IU as she singled in just her fifth start of the season, but both were left stranded.

Indiana jumped to a 3-0 lead on Tsirigos' second hit of the day as she knocked a three-run homer to left field in the third inning. The homer plated freshman Katie Lacefield, who reached on a fielding error and junior Rebecca Blitz, who singled in the frame.

Minnesota loaded the bases in the home half of the third on back-to-back walks and a single through the left side. Redshirt sophomore pitcher Emily Kirk created a force out at home to get the first out, however Kendyl Lindaman sent one back up the middle to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Golden Gophers tied the game as MaKenna Partain reached on an Indiana fielding error and Maddie Houlihan scored from third base. Minnesota then took the lead on another two-run single, this time off the bat of Sydney Dwyer to make it 5-3.

Emily Goodin entered the game in a relief effort in the following inning, but the Golden Gophers added to their lead on a three-run homer by Danielle Parlich.

Minnesota loaded the bags in the fifth and plated another run on a bases-loaded walk. But Jessica Conenna, who stepped in after the bases were loaded, forced a foul out and a pair of groundouts to limit the damage.

Tsirigos collected her fourth RBI of the game in the sixth as she sent her second home run to right center, a solo shot to cut the deficit to 9-4. However, Minnesota quickly got that run back as Lindaman led off the bottom of the inning with a homer. A sac fly by Sara Groenewegen plated the final Minnesota run of the day.

The Hoosiers would not go quietly as senior Erin Lehman reached and Lacefield doubled in the seventh, setting the stage for pinch hitter Aimilia McDonough's two-run single to cut the deficit to 11-6. However, a pair of flyouts would end the game.

Friday's game marked just the fourth time all season Minnesota has surrendered at least six runs and the first time since March 11 against Seattle.

Indiana and Minnesota will wrap up the series on Saturday as the teams play a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be streamed live on BTN Plus.