Natalie DenHartog set the program record with her 52nd career home run, and the Gophers softball team hit six home runs in all in a 10-3 victory at Rutgers on Sunday in Piscataway, N.J.
DenHartog broke her tie with Jordanne Nygren (1999-2003) with a two-run blast in the fourth inning, her 13th home run this season, to give the Gophers a 7-2 lead. DenHartog tied Nygren's mark on March 12.
Makenna Dowell and Kayla Chavez homered on back-to-back pitches in the fifth inning, and Megan Dray, Sara Kinch and Sydney Strelow also homered for the Gophers (15-12-1, 2-1 Big Ten).
Autumn Pease held the Scarlet Knights (22-12, 1-2) to five hits over six innings.
U baseball sweeps
Righthander Aidan Maldonado struck out nine batters in five innings, Chase Stanke hit his team-high eighth home run of the season and also drew a bases-loaded walk and the Gophers baseball team completed a sweep of Western Illinois with a 6-1 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium — the program's first series sweep since May 2019.
Brady Counsell and Andrew Wilhite each had two hits for the Gophers (8-15), who held the Leathernecks (2-19) to five hits.
Etc.
