University of Connecticut Athletics
Quinnipiac snaps UConn's winning streak at four
4/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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STORRS, CT (April 25) – The University of Connecticut baseball team had its four-game winning streak snapped by Quinnipiac Thursday afternoon, as the Huskies fell 8-3 at J.O. Christian Field in a game played in steady rain.
UConn dropped to 21-17-0 overall as Quinnipiac improved to 9-23-0. The win marked the first for Quinnipiac in the all-time series, as it now trails Connecticut 2-1.
Despite the loss, senior Cy Hess (Oakdale, CT) went 1-for-3 for the game with two walks to extend his hitting streak to 23 games. The streak ties the mark set earlier this season by junior Peter Soteropoulos (Peabody, MA) as the longest in recent memory by a UConn hitter. Hess, who has hit safely in 33 of 34 games this season, is currently hitting .398.
Quinnipiac roughed up UConn starter Josh MacDonald (Milford, CT) in the early going. The freshman right-hander allowed six runs on 13 hits in five innings of work as Quinnipiac scored runs in five of the first six innings. UConn got a run in the fourth when senior Jon Gorrie’s (Northboro, MA) triple brought home freshman Brian Maloney (Hampton, NH), though additional runs were few and far between as the Huskies left 15 runners on base for the game.
Quinnipiac kept UConn’s bats unusually quiet for most of the game, throwing a seven-man carousel of arms against the Huskies over the course of nine innings. Jackson Ellis, Quinnipiac’s starter, worked the first two innings and gave up two hits while issuing a walk. Quinnipiac’s next four pitchers worked an inning apiece, with Chris Gresh coming in to work the seventh and eighth and Ari Kafka finishing in the ninth.
Connecticut got its final two runs of the game in the ninth. With two men on, sophomore Mike Leonard (Vernon, CT) sent a shot off the top of the left field fence to clear the bases. Gorrie and junior Tyler Stefkovich (Westport, CT) each finished with two hits on the day. Freshman right-hander Adam Hotaling (Cahoes, NY) worked the final four innings for the Huskies and allowed two runs on two hits while tying his career high in strikeouts with four.
Quinnipiac’s Al Marano’s only hit came in the form of a two-run home run to left field in the sixth inning. Ellis picked up his first win of the season and improved to 1-0.
Connecticut will host Georgetown in a three-game BIG EAST series over the weekend. The Huskies and Hoyas will play two on Saturday, April 27, and the final game on Sunday, April 28. Games are scheduled to start at noon for both days.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Quinnipiac 1 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 8 15 1 UConn 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 7 0
Win: Ellis (1-0).
Loss: MacDonald (1-2).
Save: None.
E: QU LaPointe.
LOB: QU 7; UC 15.
2B: QU Avery, Vartuli; UC Leonard.
3B: QU LaPointe, Magee; UC Gorrie.
HR: QU Marano.
HBP: UC McDonough.
SB: UC Gorrie, Soteropoulos 2.
Batteries: QU Jackson Ellis (2), Mike Spahr (1), John Jasilli (1), John Mellilo (1), Dave Bennett (1), Chris Gresh (2), Ari Kafka (1) and Chris Vartuli; UC Josh MacDonald (5), Adam Hotaling (4) and Mike Leonard.
