The UConn Blog - UConn baseball faces Hartford and CCSUEscalators are for cowards.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49593/uconn-fav.png2018-03-31T20:14:57-04:00http://www.theuconnblog.com/rss/stream/169405152018-03-31T20:14:57-04:002018-03-31T20:14:57-04:00UConn baseball outlasts Hartford
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The only run came in the seventh as Chase Gardner dazzled.</p> <p id="M5aF51">UConn baseball was deadlocked with Hartford 0-0 after six innings but was able to come away with its fourth consecutive win on Saturday with a 1-0 win over the Hawks at Dunkin Donuts Park.</p>
<p id="9PzOk3">Left fielder John Toppa had the only RBI on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.</p>
<p id="5yo8fa">In a game where neither team was able to muster much of anything offensively, Hartford had the first true offensive chance of the contest. Jackson Olson and Zachary Ardito registered back-to-back singles in the second and Robert Carmody moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt, putting two in scoring position with one out.</p>
<p id="fXodOX">Drew DeMaritno hit a line drive to right, but Isaac Feldstein caught the ball running in and gunned down Olson, who was trying to score.</p>
<p id="T0lSvM">“It was a huge momentum swing,” head coach Jim Penders said. “It didn’t look like anyone was going to score today...It was a perfect throw.”</p>
<p id="cob3mk">Gardner would allow two into scoring position in the third, also with one out, but that would be all the Hawks would get. He would face 14 more hitters and all 14 of them would be retired.</p>
<p id="jqYtza">He pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits. He struck out six and walked two.</p>
<p id="L6nWWk">“I didn’t have my fastball command [early], but once I locked it in and was throwing consistent strikes, that’s when I really took off,” Gardner said.</p>
<p id="K0uH5T">As for UConn’s starting pitching, dating back to Gardner’s <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/25/17162012/uconn-baseball-loses-game-three-against-usf?_ga=2.68116305.1394829279.1521726036-1162523001.1521066399">last start against USF on March 25</a>, they have not allowed a run in 35 consecutive innings.</p>
<p id="ThGVIC">Gardner gave the Huskies the start they wanted, but they were not able to generate anything offensively.</p>
<p id="Z0mu2P">“Some days you have to tip your cap to the opponent,” Penders said. “Dombkowski did a really good job moving the ball around.”</p>
<p id="112XJk">Catcher Zac Susi doubled in the first due to a miscommunication down the left field line by three Hartford defenders, but Nicholas Dombkowski would not allow another hit until the sixth, when Susi returned to the plate.</p>
<p id="QJz2lN">UConn would get a runner on third that frame, but designated Thad Phillips got into a rundown between first and second and was retired.</p>
<p id="jWJEBw">However, Dombkowski would begin to tire and the Huskies got a run in seventh.</p>
<p id="Vhf7dw">Second baseman Christian Fedko and first baseman Chris Winkel singled, then third baseman Michael Woodworth loaded the bases for Toppa. His deep drive to left field reached the warning track before it was caught by Chris Sullivan, and it was deep enough to bring in Conor Moriarty, who pinch-ran for Fedko.</p>
<p id="FqX3Ct">“I like to see us make some adjustments a little sooner,” Penders said.</p>
<p id="c5rltE">Hartford did not go down quietly, as they loaded the bases with two down in the eighth and looked poised to tie it in the ninth when Jackson Olson got to second with one out, but PJ Poulin worked with shortstop Anthony Prato to pick him off and end the threat.</p>
<p id="emCMsk">UConn (15-9) returns to action at J.O. Christian Field on Tuesday against Fairfield. First pitch is at 3 p.m.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/31/17184166/uconn-baseball-outlasts-hartford-3-31-2018-dunkin-donuts-parkShawn McGrath2018-03-30T19:17:19-04:002018-03-30T19:17:19-04:00UConn baseball tops CCSU for third-straight win
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies scored some early runs and Mason Feole put it away with a strong performance.</p> <p id="e6sf5x">UConn baseball won their third-straight contest on Friday as they got the better of CCSU at J.O. Christian Field, 6-1.</p>
<p id="5uuNE7">Third baseman Michael Woodworth led the way with three hits, but each of the nine Huskies’ starters reached base safely.</p>
<p id="A71pvt">Through most of the year, UConn has been slow to start and they have scored runs in the fourth inning just four times in 22 games, but thanks to smart baserunning from shortstop Anthony Prato, the Huskies had a 1-0 lead after one.</p>
<p id="3vG8GP">Prato singled and advanced to second base after a balk. Then, catcher Zac Susi was retired on a very hard line drive to first base. Sam Loda tried to double off Prato, but his throw sailed into left field and Prato ran through head coach Jim Penders’ stop sign to score standing up.</p>
<p id="T7BliI">“It was a really good baseball play,” Penders said. “I was holding him up, but he was his own third base coach there. He saw something.”</p>
<p id="RwROC3">UConn followed it up with a trio of runs in the second, cashing in on some walks. Center fielder Troy Stefanski and second baseman Christian Fedko each took a free base, with first baseman Chris Winkel’s hard line drive up the middle scoring Stefanski. Woodworth would come through with an RBI single and then a productive out from left fielder John Toppa made it 4-0.</p>
<p id="EEmD1X">Susi led off the third with a home run, and that would be all Mason Feole needed.</p>
<p id="fbax8T">The sophomore left-hander gave his squad seven shutout innings and allowed only three hits. He also struck out 13 batters, which is a career-high and a season-high for the team.</p>
<p id="MlM7H2">“It felt good to just be out there and go throw my fastball for strikes,” Feole said.</p>
<p id="L2dA8u">Feole seemed to get stronger as the afternoon wore on. He allowed a runner to reach in each of the first four frames on a walk and then three singles, but settled down.</p>
<p id="aOSOPG">He would retire nine in a row, starting with two punch-outs looking to end the fourth. That run ended when he hit a batter with one down in the seventh, but Feole retired the final two he faced to complete a strong start.</p>
<p id="aHTXM0">“He was effectively wild, in and out of the zone,” Penders said.</p>
<p id="EX6Hlu">The Huskies would add a run in the seventh to make it 6-0, but the Blue Devils made a run at a comeback in the eighth, loading the bases on a pair of walks sandwiched by a single. However, Joe Simeone got himself out of the mess with only one run on the board for CCSU.</p>
<p id="dvJ2LK">“We didn’t score in the fifth when he had a chance, we have to take advantage of that more, but we did pretty well [offensively] today,” Prato said.</p>
<p id="h0EnLF">UConn (14-9) completes their weekend with Hartford on Saturday at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. Chase Gardner (1-0, 3.86 ERA) is on the mound for the Huskies.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/30/17181068/uconn-baseball-tops-ccsu-for-third-straight-winShawn McGrath2018-03-29T19:20:08-04:002018-03-29T19:20:08-04:00UConn baseball rides hot eighth to beat Hartford
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies put up seven runs in an eighth inning that saw 12 batters step up to the plate.</p> <p id="OtjCIM">At the seventh-inning stretch, UConn baseball had a 1-0 lead over Hartford, but the Huskies scored eight runs over the seventh and eighth and rode their late-game offensive explosion to a 9-1 win in their home opener.</p>
<p id="b08ehY">Left fielder John Toppa (2-for-4) was the only Husky with multiple hits, but catcher Zac Susi and first baseman Chris Winkel each had multi-RBI games.</p>
<p id="satqs5">The Hawks and UConn always play tight games and lately, Hartford has come out on top, as the Huskies have not won since 2013. This one was no different.</p>
<p id="6OEkAD">Tim Cate pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just two hits. He struck out six and walked a pair.</p>
<p id="5VwdCP">“[Cate] was great,” Susi said. “He had to pitch on one day shorter rest, he did really well. His curveball command was really good.”</p>
<p id="Gpaa9g">He did not allow a runner into scoring position until the sixth, when a leadoff walk got 90 feet from scoring after a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt but never scored. He would also leave the game with the bases loaded in the seventh, but Jake Wallace would come in and induce a ground ball to preserve Cate’s shutout.</p>
<p id="n14Ssf">“That was huge,” Toppa said. “[Wallace] has been awesome these past couple weeks, coming in in tough spots and getting the job done every time.”</p>
<p id="fTurlk">Right fielder Isaac Feldstein led off the second with a home run over the left field fence, but through the rest of the early and middle stages of the contest, the offense sputtered until the seventh inning.</p>
<p id="wKiY7V">Zachary Ardito misplayed a ground ball at third from Toppa that allowed the frame to continue, which gave the Huskies their first of many insurance runs. Shortstop Anthony Prato came to the plate and his single through the left side made it 2-0.</p>
<p id="OZNz6y">In the eighth, 12 batters would head to the plate for the Huskies. Nine of the first 10 batters would reach for UConn on five hits and three walks, with a hit-by-pitch from Feldstein that kicked off the fireworks.</p>
<p id="xCzkH3">Susi and Winkel each had multi-RBI hits that kept the ball rolling.</p>
<p id="NpJXok">“We were squeezing the bat a little too tight early,” Toppa said. “To get separation was huge.”</p>
<p id="KCj2de">UConn (13-9) takes on CCSU on Friday at J.O. Christian Field. Mason Feole (3-0, 3.74 ERA) is the Huskies’ probable pitcher.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17177302/uconn-baseball-rides-hot-eighth-to-beat-hartfordShawn McGrath2018-03-29T11:18:43-04:002018-03-29T11:18:43-04:00UConn Baseball Weekend Preview: Hartford and CCSU
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies will finally play their first game at J.O. Christian Field.</p> <p id="t1eIsZ">UConn baseball <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/24/17159408/uconn-baseball-against-usf">lost two out of three last weekend to USF</a> in its American Athletic Conference opener, but the Huskies rebounded on <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/27/17169820/uconn-huskies-baseball-tops-boston-college-eagles-4-0-jim-penders-win-500">Tuesday with a strong shutout win at Boston College</a>.</p>
<p id="slgjSX">Due to Wichita State’s new membership in the AAC, there are now nine baseball schools and each weekend of conference play, one team has a bye. This weekend, UConn is off from conference play, so they’ll take on Hartford twice and CCSU once.</p>
<p id="7WINfV">“Both Central and Hartford are jumbling their schedules and we’re grateful for that,” head coach Jim Penders said.</p>
<p id="2y47o0">This weekend’s schedule is unique as the typical Friday-Sunday weekend series is shifted forward one day to Thursday-Saturday because of the Easter holiday. One of the games will also be played at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in downtown Hartford.</p>
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<h3 id="dZW3bP">Hartford</h3>
<p id="50J0j4">To begin the weekend, the Huskies will host the Hartford Hawks (5-15), who they have not beaten since 2013.</p>
<p id="0knuyX">Tim Cate (2-4, 4.41 ERA) will take the mound for UConn, while Hartford has not released who its starting pitcher will be. This will be the Huskies’ home opener after playing 21 true road games to start the year, a program record.</p>
<p id="0Ww2cj">“[Playing a home game] is going to be nice,” outfielder John Toppa said. “You don’t really notice it Friday or Saturday. Coming back from Sunday, I got back at 2:45 a.m. on Monday, so it’ll be nice to not have buses or planes.”</p>
<p id="0wFV6m">Chase Gardner (1-0, 3.86) will go against a starter to be announced at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford on Saturday.</p>
<p id="gOcGOm">The Hawks have gone on the road and played strong competition, getting seven games in against NCAA tournament teams in South Alabama and Oregon State the first two weekends of the year.</p>
<p id="ghVhei">Offensively, Hartford slashes .243 AVG/.329 OBP/.340 SLG, which is good for 238th, 253rd and 228th, respectively, in the country. Only two of their regulars hit above .270 in Nick Campana (.357/.416/.486) and Chris Sullivan (.338/.427/.400).</p>
<p id="ahIr9o">Billy DeVito (0-2, 6.86) has pitched the first game of each of their last four series and is a solid bet to get the start on Thursday. A few different guys are in the mix for Saturday, including Nathan Florence (0-4, 5.64).</p>
<p id="dw5S72">As a staff, they allow batters to hit .282 against them and own a 5.58 ERA (223rd) to go along with 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings (218th) and 6.3 walks per nine innings (283rd).</p>
<p id="kfSakv">“We’re going to prepare like normal and try and get a couple wins out of it,” catcher Zac Susi said.</p>
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<h3 id="yz5aQR">Central Connecticut State</h3>
<p id="PSFGVi">In the middle of the two matchups with Hartford, UConn will face CCSU at home on Friday. Mason Feole (3-0, 3.74) will get the nod against a to-be-named starter.</p>
<p id="hfF7Vr">The Huskies have already matched up against CCSU, notching a <a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/20/17144388/uconn-baseball-comes-back-against-ccsu">win over the Blue Devils in extra innings</a>.</p>
<p id="Mm3Pc5">Feole will be contending with a CCSU lineup that slashes .295/.376/.399, which is 33rd, 80th and 97th, respectively in NCAA. They are led by a trio of batters that hit over .350 in Chris Kanios (.378/.391/.444), Peyton Stephens (.389/.476/.481) and Dean Lockery (.365/.487/.492), with another four regulars hitting over .265.</p>
<p id="uCQSgo">On the mound, the Blue Devils are not as strong. They allow opposing batters to hit .275 against them and have a 4.92 ERA (169th). They strike out 7.9 batters per nine innings (164th) and walk 4.1 more per nine innings (135th).</p>
<p id="6t6dn3">“They gave us a really good challenge,” Toppa said. “We didn’t put together too many at-bats at the plate.”</p>
<p id="9Qjrru">As for the Huskies, they are led by Susi (.329/.386/.355), who has a four-game hitting streak and has reached safely in his last 12 contests. He is joined by infielder Christian Fedko (.281/.342/.375) and outfielder Isaac Feldstein (.259/.326/.605) for longest active hitting streak on the team.</p>
<p id="ylT15o">The team slash line is .263/.333/.388, which is 157th, 237th and 134th in Division I.</p>
<p id="Z5dKRa">Cate, Feole and Gardner anchor a pitching staff that has a .257 batting average against and a 4.09 ERA (102nd). Husky pitchers strike out 9.1 batters per nine innings (64th) against 4.5 walks per nine innings (186th).</p>
<p id="6jYtoM">UConn plays Hartford on Thursday at 3 p.m. at J.O. Christian Field and on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. A matchup with CCSU will complete the weekend on Friday at J.O. Christian Field with a 3 p.m. first pitch.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2018/3/29/17175166/uconn-baseball-weekend-preview-hartford-and-ccsuShawn McGrath