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UConn Marches Past UMass, 17-3, in Home Opener
Massachusetts (3-8) 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 3 5 4
Connecticut (8-8) 4 1 2 1 1 1 4 3 - 17
20 3
UM: Jeremy Demers, David Sullivan (2), John Toffey (5), Anthony
Gallo (7) and Tom Ellerbrook, Frank Curreri (8). UC: Eric Drown, Bob
Barton (8) and Mike Leonard. Win - Erik Drown, 2-3. Loss - Jeremy
Demers, 0-1. 2B- Mike Athas (M), Matt Boulanger (M), Tim Dempsey 2
(C), Dan Trubia (C). 3B - Peter Soteropoulos (C) HR- Brett Burnham
(C), Mike Leonard (C), Mike Mocerino (C).
BOX SCORE (HTML)
BOX SCORE (PDF)
STORRS, CT (Mar. 25) - The University of
Connecticut baseball team scored in every inning of its home opener on
Tuesday as the Huskies defeated Massachusetts, 17-3, in an
eight-inning game at J.O. Christian Field. The game was called in the
bottom of the eighth inning on account of darkness. With the win, the Huskies even their record at 8-8 on the year
while the Minutemen slip to 3-8.
UMass struck first with an unearned run in the top of the first
inning. Adam Stojanowski reached on an error at first base, stole
second and scored on a Chris Morgan single to right field. UConn
plated four runs in the home half of the frame though, keyed by a
two-RBI triple by Peter Soteropoulos and a two-run home run by catcher
Mike Leonard, providing two of his five RBI on the afternoon.
UConn plated one run in the second inning when Dan Trubia scored on
a groundout to shortstop by Brett Burnham, and tallied two more runs
in the third on a Tim Dempsey shot through the legs of Jeff Alteri at
first base, and a Trubia sacrifice fly. The Huskies went up 8-1 in the
fourth when Burnham led off the frame with a home run to left field,
his team-leading fourth home run of the season. UMass cut the gap to
8-3 in the top of the fifth with a pair of unearned runs, scoring on a
double down the left field line by Mike Athas and an Alteri sacrifice
fly.
The Huskies would score the game’s final nine runs to account for
the 17-3 final. UConn plated a run in the bottom of the fifth when
Russ D’Argetino singled home Tim Dempsey after a leadoff double. In
the sixth, UConn plated a run on a solo shot to center by Mike
Mocerino, one of three Husky taters on the day. Four Huskies crossed
in the seventh to put UConn up 13-3. After the first two batters were
retired, Soteropoulos, Tony Mallozzi, Leonard, Bryan Maler, and
Mocerino all recorded singles, accounting for the four runs, before
UMass summoned Anthony Gallo from the bullpen to stop the bleeding by
fanning Dempsey. UConn struck three times in the eighth, keyed by a
two-RBI single by Leonard in what proved to be the game’s final play
as the umpires called the game shortly there after.
Erik Drown threw seven strong innings on the mound for UConn,
scattering three hits and allowing just one earned run, three total,
while striking out seven UMass batters and walking just three. Bob
Barton also threw an inning of shutout relief for the Huskies.
Freshman Jeremy Demers started for the Minutemen and lasted just over
an inning, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits while
striking out one. David Sullivan threw three and a third innings for
UMass, while John Toffey threw two and a third and Gallo fired the
final inning for the Minutemen.
UConn returns to action on Wednesday when the Huskies play host to
Hartford at 3:00 p.m. |
