UConn Baseball Loses Series to Texas

Game 1:

On Friday night, UConn came undone in the fourth inning as a three-run at-bat for the Texas Longhorns helped them take a 4-1 win over the Huskies.

Tim Cate threw only 3 ²⁄₃ innings before leaving with a shoulder issue. He allowed three runs on just three hits, striking out seven and walking two.

UConn only had four hits in the game. First baseman Tyler Gnesda had the only RBI for the Huskies on a sacrifice fly. Until the fourth inning, it was a pitcher’s duel. Morgan Cooper and Cate allowed only one hit each and each looked dominant.

In the bottom of the fourth, Texas scored all the runs it would need. Kacy Clemens hit a two-run home run to right field. The Longhorns got another one when Joe Baker hit a single to score Patrick Mathis, who had been walked by Cate.

Clemens made it 4-0 when he golfed another one over the right-field fence in the sixth.

After Prato’s single to lead off the fourth, the Huskies were held quiet until the seventh, when they got their only run of the contest. UConn got a runner in scoring position in each of the eighth and ninth, but could not scratch a run across and the game ended 4-1.

Game 2:

UConn won the second game in another offensive struggle which ended 2-1 on Saturday.

The Huskies mustered only four hits again, but this time it was enough to pull out a victory in a pitcher’s duel.

Right fielder Isaac Feldstein (2-for-3) led the Huskies offensively, as his two-RBI double generated all of UConn’s runs on the afternoon.

Wills Montgomerie had a great outing, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings. He struck out a career-high 13 while walking only two and allowing four hits, all of which were singles.

The Huskies were no-hit until the sixth until shortstop Anthony Prato singled with one out to break up the no-hitter. Catcher Zac Susi followed it up with a single of his own. They both scored on Feldstein’s double into the left-center field gap.

Texas was held at bay until the ninth when they got the game-tying run to third base and the game-winning run was on first.

David Hamilton came to the plate and almost ended it with a deep ball into the outfield but Feldstein made a great play to make the catch in right for the second out. John Russell got the final out and his second save of the year by inducing a ground ball to shortstop.

Game 3:

In the rubber match, Texas took the game and the series with a 9-3 win.

Right fielder Isaac Feldstein (1-for-3), Tyler Gnesda (2-for-4) and Alex LeFevre (1-for-3) each had an RBI for the Huskies. Doug Domnarski had another rough first inning and UConn never could get out from under it.

Ryan Reynolds hit a two-run home run and Bret Boswell singled home Kacy Clemens to get Texas a quick 3-0 lead. UConn got one run each in the second and third thanks to doubles from LeFevre and Feldstein to make it 3-2, but that was the closest UConn got.

In the third, Clemens doubled to bring home a run and knocked Domnarski out of the game. He later scored on a passed ball to make it 5-2.

Mason Feole replaced Domnarski and pitched well. He allowed one run on three hits across 3 2/3 innings, notching six strikeouts and allowing two walks.

Texas made it 6-2 in the sixth after four singles and put it away in the seventh with three more runs.

UConn (4-3) heads to Stetson next weekend for a tournament. They will get games against Stetson, Western Michigan, and St. Joseph’s.