PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (March 26, 2005) – Sophomore
Kevin Mulvey of Villanova threw a no-hitter in the first game for a
3-0 Villanova win and UConn topped the Wildcats by a score of 7-1 in
the second game as the Huskies split a doubleheader with Villanova on
Saturday in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. The two games marked the opening of
UConn’s conference schedule and the Huskies move to 13-5, while
Villanova is 12-6-1 (2-2 BIG EAST).
The no-hitter was the second by a Wildcat pitcher in 28 days, and
the eighth in school history. Villanova scored three runs in the
seven-inning game for the win, with six players each tallying a hit.
Junior southpaw Brendan McGinn (Tolland, Conn.) threw all
six innings for UConn marking the first complete game for a Husky this
season. He allowed three runs to Villanova on six hits and fanned five
without issuing a walk, but McGinn’s strong performance was no match
to Mulvay’s as he moved to 2-3.
In the second game, the Husky bats came alive in the sixth inning
as UConn scored all seven of their runs in the inning for the 7-1 win.
Jeremy Hunt hit a solo homerun in the third to give the Wildcats an
early 1-0 lead.
Senior Tony Mallozzi (Westboro, Mass.) started the UConn
rally in the sixth when he led off the inning with a double to left
center. Freshman Vin DiFazio (Hampton, N.J.) drew a walk while
pinch-hitting, and then moved to third on a dropped fly ball off the
bat of senior Russ D’Argento (Marlboro, Mass.). The error put
D’Argento on second and scored Mallozzi.
Sophomore Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches, N.Y.) then
singled down the left line to bring DiFazio and D’Argento home,
followed by classmate Larry Day (Amesbury, Mass.) who also
singled. Freshman Pat Mahoney (Des Moines, Iowa) walked to load
the bases. Sophomore Matt Untiet (Berlin, Conn.) moved everyone
one base on a single that scored Donovan.
Junior Austin Wasserman (Nashua, N.H.) then reached on a
fielder’s choice that got Day out at home. With the bases still
loaded, Mallozzi, in his second at-bat of the inning, reached on
another dropped fly that emptied the bases with Mahoney, Untiet and
Wasserman each crossing home to give UConn seven runs in the inning.
The Huskies were able to make their 7-1 lead stick with three solid
pitching performances. Junior John Slusarz (Farmington, Conn.)
started for UConn, throwing six innings with six hits, one earned run,
four walks and a strikeout. Freshman David Erickson (Stratford,
Conn.) then came in and pitched the seventh and eighth innings with
two hits and four strikeouts, and sophomore Ted Garry
(Rochester, Minn.) closed out the game.
Untiet was the lone Husky to notch multiple hits, going 2-for-4
with an RBI and run. Donovan tallied two RBI on 1-for-5 while scoring
a run.
The Huskies will next play on Tuesday, March 29 when they travel to
Boston to face Northeastern at 3:00 p.m.
