Gophers freshman Isabella McCauley ties for second place at Big Ten golf meet

Gophers freshman Isabella McCauley shot a final-round 3-under 68 Sunday to finish in a tie for second at the Big Ten women's golf championships at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh.

McCauley finished at even-par 213 over three days, 12 strokes behind winner Crystal Wang of Illinois.

"Bella's game this week was remarkable and this feat for a freshman is amazing," Gophers coach Rhyll Brinsmead said.

The Gophers finished ninth, shooting 50-over 902 over three days, 37 shots behind winner Illinois.

Kayla Chavez drove in the tying run on a seventh-inning sacrifice fly, then scored the winning run on Jess Oakland's sacrifice fly two innings later to give the Gophers softball team a 2-1 victory over Iowa and a three-game series sweep at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on Sunday.

The Gophers (28-16, 9-6 Big Ten) trailed the Hawkeyes (28-21, 8-10) 1-0 entering the seventh inning. Maddy Ehlke doubled leading off, and with the bases loaded Chavez drove a ball to left field to bring Ehlke in.

Two innings later, Chavez singled with one out and advanced to second on a walk to Amani Bradley. After both runners advanced on a passed ball, Oakland ended the game with her fly to center.

Autumn Pease improved to 20-6 with two shutout innings of relief for the Gophers, who play a doubleheader at Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Jacob Schroeder hit a two-run homer to give the Illinois baseball team a 6-5 home victory over the Gophers and a sweep of the weekend series.

The scored two unearned runs in the top of the ninth for a 5-3 lead, and Seth Clausen then retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning.

But Drake Westcott homered — the ball popping out of the glove of leaping Gophers center fielder Brett Bateman — to make it 5-4 before Ryan Moerman reached on a an infield single. Schroeder followed by lifting the first pitch he saw over the fence in center to make Illinois (18-18, 7-8 Big Ten) a winner.

Weber Neels had two hits and scored twice for the Gophers (10-27, 4-8).