University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies hit up Rhode Island for 15-8 win
4/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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KINGSTON, RI (April 9) – Only a week after being two-hit by Rhode Island at J.O. Christian Field, the University of Connecticut erupted for 17 hits and 15 runs in a rematch with the Rams Tuesday afternoon at Bill Beck Field.
UConn improved its record to 14-11-0 overall while Rhode Island dropped to 14-16-0.
The Huskies put runs on the board in eight of the nine innings, starting with an unearned run in the first that scored senior Cy Hess (Oakdale, CT) on an error by the left fielder. After the Rams took a 3-1 lead in the bottom half of the inning, UConn added another run in the second on an RBI single by freshman Brian Maloney (Hampton, NH), the first hit and RBI of his collegiate career.
Rhode Island answered with another three-run inning in the bottom of the second, increasing its lead to 6-2. The Huskies started the third with a single by junior Dan Trubia (Tolland, CT) and a walk by junior Peter Soteropoulos (Peabody, MA). Sophomore Mike Mocerino (Northboro, MA) then brought home a run with a double, and Soteropoulos later scored on a passed ball. Freshman Mike McDonough (Abington, MA) capped the frame with a sacrifice fly to center that plated Mocerino to trim the Rams’ lead to 6-5.
Junior right-hander Erik Drown (Ipswich, MA) settled down after the rocky start and didn’t give up another hit or run until the sixth. By then, the Huskies had plated eight more runs to take a commanding 13-7 lead into the late stages of the game. Junior Brett Burnham (South Windsor, CT) brought home a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly to left, and sophomore Mike Leonard (Vernon, CT) blasted the first of two solo home runs on the day to highlight a three-run UConn fifth. The Huskies tacked on the final four runs of the stretch in the sixth, the first two coming on a home run by Mocerino. Hess, who had a two-run double in the fifth, added another RBI to his total with a single in the frame.
The Huskies added a run in the seventh on a homer by Leonard and another in the ninth on a Rhode Island error. Drown, who improved to 3-2 on the season, lasted five innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits while striking out five. Freshman Keith Potvin (Manchester, NH) worked the last four innings and allowed only one run on four hits while striking out two. Rhode Island’s Mike Harris, who pitched the two-hitter against UConn on April 2 in a 5-0 Rhode Island win, took the loss while giving up five runs–three of them earned–on seven hits.
Hess finished the day going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two walks. Mocerino also had three RBI and Leonard and Maloney each had two. Connecticut’s 17 hits tied a season high–the Huskies also hit up Fairfield for the mark on April 4. UConn has now scored 15 runs in back-to-back games.
Connecticut will host Massachusetts on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at J.O. Christian Field.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E UConn 1 1 3 1 3 4 1 0 1 15 17 2 URI 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 11 5Win: Drown (3-2).
Loss: Preston (1-1).
Save: None.
E: UC McDonough 2; RI Jackson, Peck 2, Blaze 2.
DP: UC 1; RI 1.
LOB: UC 12; RI 9.
2B: UC Hess, Trubia, Mocerino, Leonard, McDonough; RI Jackson 2, Batz, Maloney.
HR: UC Mocerino, Leonard 2; RI Batz.
SB: UC Gorrie, Hess 2, Burnham.
SF: UC Burham.
Batteries: UC Erik Drown (5), Keith Potvin (4) and Mike Leonard; RI Mike Harris (3), Matt Preston (2), Jad Prachniak (3), Erik Hanley (1) and Joah Peck.
