Gophers walk off on both diamonds

On a sun-splashed Sunday in Minneapolis, Gophers fans were treated to important late-season Big Ten victories by the baseball and softball teams. Each game ended with a swing of the bat.

Recap: The Gophers tied the score at 6-6 in the eighth on solo homers by Eli Wilson, Cole McDevitt and Jordan Kozicky, and Luke Pettersen won it with an RBI single in the 10th. Max Meyer won his first game with two innings of shutout relief.

Attendance: 1,169 at Siebert Field.

For the weekend: The Gophers swept the three-game series.

What it means: With seven wins in their past eight games, the Gophers are 32-12 overall and 14-3 in the Big Ten.

Big Ten race: The Gophers are tied for first with Michigan with two weeks to go in the regular season.

Note: Gophers No. 3 hitter Terrin Vavra, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, was hit in the helmet by a pitch in the third and was replaced at shortstop in the fourth.

Recap: On Senior Day, junior Maddie Houlihan hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to end the game by the eight-run rule.

Attendance: 1,008 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

For the weekend: The Gophers took two of three games from Penn State, outscoring the Nittany Lions 28-2.

What it means: With 16 victories in their past 17 games, the Gophers finished the regular season 36-15 overall and 17-4 in the Big Ten.

Big Ten race: The defending Big Ten regular-season champions finished second behind Michigan (43-9, 18-2).