UConn Splits Doubleheader with Pittsburgh

Boxscore - Game One [.pdf]
Boxscore - Game Two [.pdf] 

STORRS, Conn. (April 9, 2005) - The University of Connecticut baseball team split a BIG EAST doubleheader with Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field. The Panthers took the first game, 8-7, while UConn sophomore Rich Sirois (Ipswich, Mass.) pitched the Huskies to a 2-1 win in game two. Connecticut is now 20-8 this season and 4-3 in conference play. Pittsburgh falls to 14-13, with a 2-7 mark against league opponents.

In the first game, UConn jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Huskies led off with three straight singles by junior Austin Wasserman (Nashua, N.H.), senior Tony Mallozzi (Westboro, Mass.) and junior Bryan Maler (Ansonia, Conn.). Maler's single brought home Wasserman to score the first UConn run. After freshman Vin DiFazio (Hampton, N.J.) loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, sophomore Larry Day (Amesbury, Mass.) singled to center field to score Mallozzi and Maler and put the Huskies up 3-0.

Pittsburgh quickly responded in the top of the second, scoring three of their own, including two on a single by Jeff Stevens. The Huskies answered again with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Wasserman, Mallozzi and Maler again notched three straight hits, with Maler singling in Wasserman. Mallozzi and Maler then scored the last two runs of the inning on an errant throw by the second baseman during senior Russ D'Argento's (Marlboro, Mass.) at-bat.

The Panthers again answered back with a run in the third and four in the fourth to move to score to 8-6 in their favor. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Maler reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second. He was then brought home on a single to left field by D'Argento. But that was the only run UConn was able to manufacture in the last two innings, as the Panthers edged the Huskies for the 8-7 win.

The UConn bats were lead by the top of the order with Wasserman, Mallozzi and Maler each tallying two hits in the game. Wasserman and Mallozzi each scored two runs, while Maler scored three and drove in two. Day also had two RBI on a 1-for-3 performance.

Senior pitcher Jeff Hourigan (Beacon Falls, Conn.) picked up his first loss of the season to move to 3-1. He threw 3.2 innings with eight runs on eight hits, a walk and a strikeout. Freshman David Erickson (Stratford, Conn.) pitched the final 3.1 innings, holding the Panthers scoreless on three hits while fanning four. Billy Muldowney (2-2) got the win for Pittsburgh.

In game two of the doubleheader, Sirois and Paul Nardozzi of Pitt faced off in a pitcher's duel. Nardozzi had a strong outing, throwing a complete game with six hits, three walks and eight strikeouts. However the Huskies were able to score two runs, one of which was earned, to pull out the victory. Sirois, who registered his team-leading fifth win of the season, also struck out a season-high eight batters in eight innings, with eight hits, two walks and one earned run.

UConn again got on the board first, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-0 lead. Maler singled to right field and stole second to get into scoring position. He then moved to third on an error by the catcher and scored on a sac fly by Hourigan, who played first base in the second game.

Pittsburgh then knotted the game up at 1-1 in the top of the sixth when Sean Conley singled up the middle to score Jim Negrych from second. D'Argento then took the lead back for UConn in the bottom of the inning when he slammed a solo shot over the left field wall for his second homerun of the season. Sophomore Ted Garry (Rochester, Minn.) came in to close the game in the ninth, and got the Panthers to ground into a double play to secure the 2-1 victory. Garry notched his third save of the season.

D'Argento was the lone Husky to have multiple hits in the second game, going 2-for-3 with a run and RBI.

Connecticut and Pittsburgh will conclude the series on Sunday, April 10 in a single game at J.O. Christian Field beginning at 12:00 p.m.