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UConn Baseball won its fourth consecutive game Saturday at Clark-LeClair Stadium, defeating East Carolina 3-2 after 10 innings. After winning game one, the Huskies clinched the win in their first conference series of the season.
Wills Montgomerie followed up Tim Cate’s effort on Friday with a strong start of his own. He threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on nine hits while striking out six and walking just one.
Center fielder Keith Krueger had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4. Designated hitter Tyler Gnesda and shortstop Anthony Prato also went 2-for-4.
Catcher Zac Susi (1-for-4) had two RBI, including the game-winner.
East Carolina drew first blood with a run in the fourth after an RBI single by Eric Tyler. The Pirates proceeded to load the bases with one out, but Montgomerie got out of the jam, stranding all three runners to keep the deficit at one.
Like Friday’s victory, the Huskies were scoreless and without much offense for much of the early and middle stages of the game. Before the eighth inning, only two players had reached scoring position.
In the eighth, the Huskies got to Sam Lanier out of the bullpen for a pair of runs to take a late lead.
A sacrifice bunt by third baseman Willy Yahn put Krueger on third and Prato on second for catcher Zac Susi, who hit a line drive right to Dusty Baker in center field. Krueger beat the errant throw home to tie the game and Prato moved over to third.
Prato scored on a single by Gnesda to give UConn a 2-1 lead, but East Carolina made it interesting in the ninth.
Kirk Morgan led off with a single and was replaced on the bases by Brady Lloyd. A wild pitch and sacrifice bunt later, he was on third. On a 2-2 count, Ryan Radue threw a wild pitch and Lloyd crossed the plate to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Huskies got a lead off the bat of Susi, who knocked one to left field to bring home Prato, who singled with one out. John Russell came in and got his ninth save of the year in the 10th.
UConn (15-9) and East Carolina will complete their series at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Mason Feole will be on the mound for UConn.