Gophers softball clinches first outright Big Ten title since 1991

After scoring six runs in the first inning, the Gophers softball team cruised to a 14-1, five-inning victory over host Penn State on Saturday to clinch the school's first outright Big Ten title since 1991.

The victory extended No. 4 Minnesota's program-record winning streak to 21 games, gave the Gophers (50-3, 21-1 Big Ten) their first 50-win season ever, and ensured they would be the top seed in the conference tournament at Michigan next weekend.

The Wolverines had won or shared the conference title the past eight years.

Gophers coach Jessica Allister savored the postgame rejoicing Saturday. "To see it pay off for a group of young women who worked hard, put the team first and believed in themselves all season and to watch them celebrate on the field was pretty special," she said.

Dani Wagner, the No. 8 hitter, led the Gophers' 11-hit attack with a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot. Sara Groenewegen also had a big hit in the first inning, a two-run double for a 3-0 lead.

Freshman Amber Fiser got the victory, allowing one run on two hits and two walks in three innings vs. PSU (22-31, 8-14). Fiser is 13-0 with a 1.55 ERA.

Sydney Dwyer and Kendyl Lindaman also had one RBI apiece, bringing their season totals to 71 and 68, respectively, as each closed in on the single-season program record of 74 and remained among the leaders nationally in RBI.

Coffey, a junior from Batavia, Ill., went 4-for-6 with six RBI and four runs scored.

He had a three-run homer in his last at-bat, in the eighth; it scored Minnesota's final runs.

Brett Schulze got the win, giving up one run and four hits in seven innings while striking out eight and walking none.

Minnesota (28-15, 11-6 Big Ten), tied for third in the conference, scored five runs in the first inning and had three three-run innings, in the second, sixth and eighth, against last-place PSU (14-31, 2-15).

Trainer Mac Robertson entered only one horse for the two-day, 17-race opening weekend at Canterbury Park. That lone entry was 5-year-old mare Thoughtless in the $50,000 L'Etoile du Nord Stakes. She did not disappoint Canterbury's 2016 training champion. Thoughtless won by 3¼ lengths Saturday under jockey Alex Canchari in a final time of 1:03.72 for the 5½-furlong sprint. "That's all I need if they win," Robertson said.

Shrewd Move, at the longest odds in the co-featured $50,000 Paul Bunyan Stakes, won by three-quarters of a length and returned $34.40.

The No. 8-rated Minnesota State Mankato softball team edged Winona State 1-0 on Coley Ries' four-hitter in the NSIC tournament championship game in Sioux Falls, S.D. The win was the Mavericks' record 24th in a row and 54 of the season, tying another program mark.

Ries (31-2), a senior from Eagle Lake, Minn., struck out 10. Senior Ashley Thell hit a home run in the fourth inning for the game's lone run.

Losing pitcher Jordyn Kleman of the Warriors also gave up only four hits.

The Mavericks (54-6) will play in an NCAA regional May 11-13. The NCAA field be announced at 9 a.m. Monday. Winona State (49-11) will find out then whether it gets an at-large berth.

JOE CHRISTENSEN

• No. 21 Gustavus (24-8) beat St. Thomas 5-1 in men's tennis in St. Peter to win its seventh consecutive MIAC playoff championship and 10th overall.

• St. Catherine, the lone unbeaten left, defeated St. Thomas 10-2 in six innings in the MIAC softball playoffs to advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. championship game at the Tommies' South Field. Kylie Macziewski was 3-for-4 with a two-run homers for the Wildcats while Krista Flugstad gave up two runs and seven hits. Hamline later beat top-seeded St. Thomas 6-4 behind Sydney Fransiscus' three-run homer to earn its finals spot.