No. 19-ranked Northwestern scored a run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh inning to edge the No. 13 Gophers 1-0 on Friday night at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Big Ten softball. Minnesota (37-11, 18-2 Big Ten) had won 11 games in a row
Maeve Nelson drew a one-out walk against junior righthander Amber Fiser, then moved to third base on Nikki Cuchran's double — only the Wildcats' second hit off Fiser — before scoring easily when a pitch bounced in front of the plate and got away from the catcher.
Freshman Danielle Williams of Northwestern gave up just one hit — Hope Brandner's single in the fourth inning — and struck out 13. Fiser had 10 strikeouts.
The loss ended the Gophers' hopes of winning the Big Ten regular-season title while the Wildcats (42-7, 21-0) stayed one game ahead of Michigan (38-11, 20-1) with two games left before the conference tournament. Michigan beat Maryland 6-1 on Friday.
There was a 1 hour, 33 minute rain delay shortly after the Wildcats scored.
Etc.
• The Gophers baseball team's game against Ohio State at Siebert Field on Friday night was postponed a day by rain. Instead of a single game, the Big Ten teams will now play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
