/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69014883/2021_3_23CCSUBlueDevilsUConnBaseball070.0.jpg)
Runs came at a premium during Tuesday’s matchup between UConn and Central Connecticut State, with the Huskies scraping together enough to beat the Blue Devils and open up Elliot Ballpark with a 2-0 win.
The Huskies’ pitching staff mowed down the Blue Devils with relative ease and fired their third shutout of the year. The collective unit recorded 12 strikeouts while only surrendering 4 hits and 3 walks. Pat Gallagher got the start and the freshman from Leominster, Massachusetts was able to fire 5.0 scoreless innings while tallying nine strikeouts and one walk. Gallagher handed the ball off to the bullpen in the sixth, with Kenny Haus, Andrew Marrero, Randy Polonia, and Caleb Wurster able to provide a shutout inning apiece to seal the victory.
UConn’s first run of the game came in the bottom of the first when Kyler Fedko reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second base, and came around to score on an error after Central’s catcher overthrew his man trying to pickoff Fedko.
The Huskies would add to their lead in the eighth inning when Kevin Ferrer recorded his first hit of the day, sending Christian Fedko to second base after he had reached on a walk. Erik Stock came to the plate next and delivered a one-out, one-RBI single up the middle to score Fedko.
Besides that, neither team had much luck picking up hits with runners on base, as they combined to go 0-8 with runners in scoring position. UConn only received two hits on the night until that eighth inning, a single from Erik Stock in the fourth that marked the first-ever hit in Elliot Ballpark and a single from Reggie Crawford in the fifth.
UConn allowed friends and family of the players to attend the game and a few other athletes made their way to the outfield berm as the game was ongoing.
The Huskies now sit at 7-11 on the year, with their first home series of the season starting on Friday against Rhode Island.