Sports

Minnesota Scene: Gophers baseball beats Air Force to avoid sweep

Will Semb struck out the final two batters with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.

By Star Tribune staff

March 13, 2022 at 11:23PM

Jack Kelly of the Gophers, shown here in 2020. (Carlos Gonzalez, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Jack Kelly went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a triple, and the Gophers scored the tying and go-ahead runs in a three-run seventh inning on an error and a wild pitch and beat Air Force 7-6 on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium to avoid a sweep in the three-game series.

Will Semb struck out six over 2 ²⁄₃ innings of relief to earn the victory — the final two strikeouts after the Falcons put runners on second and third with one out in the ninth inning. Aidan Maldonado started and gave up two earned runs, both on solo homers, over 5 ¹⁄₃ innings.

U softball ties Texas

The Gophers softball team played to a 10-10 tie at Texas, as travel plans forced the game to be called in the top of the seventh inning.

Sara Kinch hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Chloe Evans and Kayla Chavez homered during a four-run fifth inning for the Gophers. Texas scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score.

Whitecaps fall in finale

Madison Packer scored a shorthanded goal and the host Metropolitan Riveters held off the Whitecaps 4-3 in the Premier Hockey Federation regular-season finale.

The Riveters led 4-0 midway through the second period. Audra Morrison scored with 65 seconds left in the second period, and Sydney Baldwin and Allie Thunstrom scored in the opening 2:08 of the third, but the Whitecaps couldn't get an equalizer from there.

The Whitecaps finished the regular season at 6-13-1. All PHF teams will play in the Isobel Cup playoffs, which will be held March 25-8 in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Etc.

Emma Carpenter finished in a tie for 10th at 4 over par as the Gophers women's golf team placed 13th in the Valspar Augusta (Ga.) Invitational, 37 strokes behind winners South Carolina an Mississippi.
Two Minnesota State Mankato wrestlers won national titles Saturday in the NCAA Division II meet in St. Louis. Senior Trevor Turriff took first at 174 pounds, and junior Darrell Mason at heavyweight.
Junior Abe Townley and sophomore Raf Hendricks of the St. Cloud State each placed fifth in their specialty at the NCAA Division II swimming and diving meet in Greensboro, N.C. Townley did it in the 50-yard freestyle (19.60 seconds) and Hendricks in the 200 backstroke (1:44.56). And Madison Brinkman, a Huskies grad student, was fourth in women's 1-meter diving (402.25 points) after winning the 3-meter title.