University of Connecticut Athletics
Hess Lifts UConn Over Fairfield, 11-10
4/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Storrs, CT - University of Connecticut outfielder, Cy Hess (Jr., Oakdale, CT), sent a walk-off home run over the right field fence to cap a four-run ninth that accounted for an 11-10 come from behind victory over Fairfield Tuesday afternoon at J.O. Christian Field in Storrs, CT. Hess, who had been in an 0-for-23 hitting slump dating back to April 14, went 4-for-5 on the day, drove in three and swiped a season-high three bases as well. In doing so, he helped lift Connecticut back to .500 on the season with a 20-20 overall record, while Fairfield slid to 14- 21 on the year.
Hess' homer was his team-leading fifth of the season and his first since March 18, when he led off the ninth inning with a blast in a 7-6 loss to St. John?s. It is also the sixth time this season that a home run has proved to be the eventual game winner, but it was the first walk-off homer of the season. Aside from Ryan Treat (Sr., Uncasville, CT), Hess is the only Husky to have belted one out in the ninth inning all season as he has done it on three occasions.
The game, which resembled the first time the two met (April 4) in that UConn overcame a defecit in the final frame, saw Connecticut jump out to an early 5-1 lead in the first thanks to an RBI single from Jon Gorrie (Jr., Northboro, MA) and an RBI double >from Brian Tisbert (Sr., Andover, MA). Later on, a two RBI single to right from Hess scored Tisbert (Sr., Andover, MA) and Peter Soteropoulos (So., Peabody, MA), before Hess would later score on a double steal.
Down 5-1, Fairfield cut into the lead coming up with a pair in the third before tagging UConn for five of its own in the fifth. When John Barone sent a double to left center he tied the game with Sean Easton and Ryan Bittner coming across. Matt Fratturelli gave the Stags the lead when he singled in Barone and added to it when he came in on a passed ball. A sac bunt from Eddie McCrann ended the fifth inning scoring and put Fairfield on top 8-5.
The two teams exchanged a pair of runs each two innings later, before Connecticut would rally for the win in the ninth. The Huskies had two in scoring position in the form of Mike Mocerino (Fr., Northboro, MA), who went 3-for-4 on the day and Gorrie, who came up with his 15th stolen base of the season to get to second. Soteropoulos sent a triple down the left field line to bring the Huskies within one with no outs. One batter later and Tisbert lifted a sac fly to left to tie the game, before Hess came to the plate.
For Connecticut, Mike James (Fr., Roswell, GA) got the win to bring his record to 4-0. James went the final three innings, allowing only two hits and no runs, while striking out two. Mike Contorno, who faced just two batters in going one third of an inning, was credited with his first loss of the season to go to 0-1.
On Wednesday, April 25, Connecticut will travel to Simsbury, CT, to face Hartford at 6 p.m. The game will mark the second night contest of the season for the Huskies. If the Huskies come away with the victory, University of Connecticut head coach, Andy Baylock, will go for his 500th career victory against Quinnipiac on Thursday afternoon.
UConn, 11, Fairfield, 10 Fairfield (14-21) 102 050 200 - 10 15 1 UConn (20-20) 500 000 204- 11 16 3 Eric Drown, Jonas Swyer (5), Mike James (7) and Mike Leonard. Matt Young, Pablo Tamayo (5), Mike Contorno (9) and Sean Easton. Win-James (4- 0). Loss-Contorno (0-1). E-Young (FU), Scott (UC), Gorrie (UC), Leonard (UC). 2B-Bittner (FU), Easton (FU), Barone (FU), Ciardelli (FU), Mocerino (UC), Gorrie (UC), Tisbert (UC). 3B-Soteropoulos (UC), Hess (UC), Kagerer (UC). HR-Hess (UC). SB-Toolan (FU), Ciardelli (FU), Gorrie (UC), Hess, 3 (UC), Kagerer (UC). LOB-UConn-6, Stags-9 DP-UConn-1, Stags-1
DP-UC-2; GU-1
