One thing is for certain about this UConn Huskies baseball team. You cannot count them out of a game no matter what the score.
UConn scored 12 unanswered runs, including nine in the 8th inning, to rally back for a 15-8 win over the UCF Knights at J.O. Christian Field on Saturday afternoon.
It's the fourth straight win for the Huskies, who improve to 28-22 (10-9 American) while UCF falls to 25-27 (8-12 American). UConn will end the day no worse than tied for fourth place in the conference.
Trailing 8-6 entering the bottom of the 8th, UConn sent 15 batters to the plate, scoring the nine runs.
Aaron Hill, who went 4-for-4 on the day with three RBIs and four runs scored, got things going with a single. Jack Sundberg followed with a single and then each would move up a base on a wild pitch with Hill scoring to cut the deficit to one. Willy Yahn then drove the next pitch over the left field fence into the hedges to put the Huskies ahead.
After a Bobby Melley walk, Joe DeRoche Duffin blasted one over the fence to raise the lead to three. But they didn't stop there. The Huskies loaded the bases and Hill brought them all home with a triple. He would come around to score on a Melley groundout to the first baseman.
Huskies starter Tim Cate didn't have his best outing. After a relatively easy first inning, he struggled in the second and third and was pulled after the first batter of the fourth inning. In all, Cate went 3+ innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks.
Ronnie Rossomondo, who had been out with an oblique injury, made his first appearance since April 12 and looked a bit rusty. He went 1.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Joe Rivera and Doug Domnarski allowed a run each, bringing the Knights' total to eight runs. Randy Polonia picked up the win after firing 2.1 scoreless innings. After the Huskies' monster eighth inning at the plate, CJ Dandeneau finished it off.
UConn will go for the sweep of the Knights on Senior Day on Sunday at 11:30 a.m with Senior Day festivities starting at 11:15 a.m. Wills Montgomerie is expected to get the start for the home team.