Minnesota Scene: Gophers baseball beats Illinois with 18 hits

After being held to three runs in the first two games of the series, No. 19 Minnesota pounded out 18 hits in a 14-6 victory over Illinois on Sunday afternoon in the decisive game of their Big Ten baseball showdown in Champaign, Ill.

The Gophers (27-13, 11-3) got 18 hits from 10 different players, including all nine spots in the lineup, on the way to a fifth consecutive conference series victory.

Sophomore Alex Boxwell was just a double away from the cycle as he smacked a home run, triple and a single in four at-bats. Micah Coffey contributed a home run and two doubles, while Jordan Smith singled three times and scored three runs.

The Gophers had three homers among nine extra-base hits. Junior catcher Austin Athmann hit a two-run shot in the sixth.

Winning pitcher Toby Anderson (6-0) allowed two runs in five innings.

The Gophers will play a rare midweek series, Tuesday and Wednesday against Kansas at Siebert Field.

The Gophers softball team won its eighth game in a row and completed its fifth three-game sweep of the season with a 9-0 home victory over Maryland, with all three victories shortened because of the run rule.

Maddie Houlihan hit a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third, her 10th of the year and third home run of the series.

Sara Groenewegen struck out seven in the first three innings and hit a three-run homer. Senior Brandi McGregor capped the scoring on Senior Day at Cowles Stadium with a pinch homer.

Groenewegen (25-5) was the winner. She pitched nine innings in the series, allowing no hits and striking out 18.

The Gophers rowing team lost its regular-season finale, falling to Wisconsin in the Border Battle Regatta on Lake Phalen in St. Paul.

The Badgers swept the competition. The closest races were a 3.9-second margin of victory in the Second Varsity Eight and a 4.4-second Badgers victory in the First Novice Eight.