No. 8 Notre Dame Completes Three Game Sweep of UConn

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STORRS, CT (May 10) --  The Irish plated 10 runs in the top of the first inning and the Huskies were unable to mount a comeback as the University of Connecticut baseball team dropped a 16-8 decision to Notre Dame on Monday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field in Storrs, Conn.  With the loss, the Huskies slip to 22-24 overall and 6-14 in BIG EAST play.  The Irish improve to 38-9, 15-5 in the loop. 

Notre Dame's 10 runs in the first came thanks to three home runs, one each by Matt Bransfield, Craig Cooper and Matt Edwards.  All the round trippers came off UConn starter Brendan McGinn (Tolland, CT).  McGinn, suffered his first poor start of the season, going two-thirds of an inning and giving up five earned runs on eight hits. 

Josh MacDonald (Milford, CT) relieved McGinn and tossed 1.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits.  Tim Norton (Pascoag, RI) came in and held the Irish at bay for 6+ innings.  Norton retired seven in-a-row at one point, and gave up three runs on three hits while striking out six and walking two. 

The Huskies brought nine players to bat and scored four runs on five hits and had the tying run in the hole in the fifth, but Jeff Hourigan (Beacon Falls, CT) struck out on a 3-2 pitch with runners on second and third.  Marc Peluso (Pawcatuck, CT) keyed the rally with a two run, two out single.  Rich Sirois (Ipswich, MA) pitched a scoreless ninth for Connecticut.  The freshman southpaw struck out two in the ninth. 

Tom Thornton was credited with the win for ND.  Thornton gave up eight runs on 10 hits and ran his record to 6-2.  McGinn drops to 2-4 for Connecticut. 

Dave Tokarz (Seymour, CT) and Peluso each had a pair of RBI for Connecticut.  Matt Untiet (Berlin, CT) went 3-for-5 and drove in a run for the Huskies. 

The Huskies return to action on Tuesday, May 10 when they square off with intrastate foe Quinnipiac at 1:00 in Storrs.