UConn Baseball Falls to UCF

After seeing some encouraging play from the offense in Tuesday’s drubbing of UMass, it all went away in a four-hit effort for UConn against UCF in Friday’s 8-1 loss at Bergman Field in Orlando, FL.

The Huskies could only muster four hits, with the only RBI coming from left fielder Troy Stefanski.

Tim Cate’s curveball was not working and the Knights teed off on him to the tune of eight runs, seven of which were earned, on 11 hits. He managed six strikeouts while walking one.

UCF scored early and often, getting a pair of runs in the first on a two-RBI double from Rylan Thomas in the first and in the third, Kyle Marsh and Brennan Bozeman each got an RBI for an early 4-0 lead.

In the fourth, Eli Putnam and Thomas each hit two-run homers and after Thomas’ blast, Cate was lifted in an 8-0 game.

The bullpen, comprised of Joe Rivera, Doug Domnarski and Joe Rivera, allowed just one walk in 4 2/3 innings of work to right the ship.

The Huskies got three of their four hits in the sixth inning and got their only run of the game out of the effort.

Center fielder Keith Krueger led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Stefanski grounded out to first and the Knights traded an out for run and UConn narrowed the deficit to 8-1.

Third baseman Willy Yahn and Zac Susi each singled, but they were stranded and the Huskies only got one more baserunner for the rest of the evening.

UConn (21-15, 6-4) will resume their series with UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m. Wills Montgomerie is the probable Husky starter.