University of Connecticut Athletics
Hokies sweep doubleheader on Saturday
5/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
[box score l ]
BLACKSBURG, VA (May 4) – Going into its weekend series in fifth place in the BIG EAST Conference, the University of Connecticut baseball team did little to improve its standing Saturday afternoon at English Field, falling to Virginia Tech in both games of a doubleheader. The Huskies dropped the first game 6-3 and the second 7-1.
Virginia Tech’s Joe Saunders and Jason Bush each threw complete games on the day as the Hokies improved to 25-21-0 overall and 13-6 in the BIG EAST. Saunders struck out nine UConn batters in the first game while Bush struck out five in a five-hitter. UConn dropped to 26-19-0 overall and 12-9-0 in the conference.
The Huskies got behind early in the first game after the Hokies got two runs in the second inning. UConn responded with a run in the fourth on an RBI single by junior Tyler Stefkovich (Westport, CT). Connecticut struck for two more in the fifth, with senior Jon Gorrie (Northboro, MA) scoring on a wild pitch and sophomore Mike Leonard (Vernon, CT) driving home senior Cy Hess (Oakdale, CT).
Clinging to a 3-2 lead, junior Jesse Carlson (Kensington, CT) allowed two runs on two hits in the bottom half of the fifth as the Hokies regained the lead. An error had given Virginia Tech runners on first and second with only one out before Marc Tugwell brought them both around with a double. The Hokies added two insurance runs in the sixth as Saunders held the Huskies to only one hit in the last two innings.
In the second game, none of the five UConn hits came in the same inning and only one, a double by junior Peter Soteropoulos (Peabody, MA), went for extra bases. The Huskies scored their lone run in the sixth after Gorrie led off with a single, stole second and then reached third on a ground out. He later scored after tagging up on a sacrifice fly to right by junior Brett Burnham (South Windsor, CT), tying the game at 1-1.
Virginia Tech, however, hit up senior Pat Sperone (Sicklerville, NJ) and junior Bob Barton (Carlisle, MA) for six runs in the seventh to take the 7-1 advantage. The Huskies didn’t help their cause in the frame, committing two of their four errors in the game. Sperone gave up three runs on six hits in four innings while Barton recorded only one out and yielded four runs on four hits. Soteropoulos, who started the game, gave up only one hit in two innings.
Connecticut and Virginia Tech will wrap up its series on Sunday, May 5. The game is scheduled to begin at noon.
Game 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E UConn 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 9 2 VT 0 2 0 0 2 2 X 6 6 0Win: Saunders (7-1).
Loss: Carlson (6-4).
Save: None.
E: UC Leonard, Trubia.
DP: UC 1.
LOB: UC 7; VT 4.
2B: UC Mocerino; VT Tugwell, Harris.
3B: VT Copeland.
HBP: VT English.
SF: VT Winterfeldt.
SB: UC Gorrie 2.
CS: VT Tugwell.
Batteries: UC Jesse Carlson (6) and Mike Leonard; VT Joe Saunders (7) and Jed English.
Game 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E UConn 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 4 VT 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 X 7 12 1
Win: Bush (5-4).
Loss: Sperone (4-5).
Save: None.
E: UC Mocerino, Trubia, Barton 2; VT Winterfeldt.
DP: VT 1.
LOB: UC 5; VT 9.
2B: UC Soteropoulos; VT Toregas.
HR: VT Tugwell.
SH: VT Stanton.
SF: UC Burnham.
SB: UC Gorrie, Soteropoulos.
CS: VT Stanton.
Batteries: UC Peter Soteropoulos (2), Pat Sperone (4), Bob Barton (0.1), Joe Riley (1.2) and Mike Leonard; VT Jason Bush (9) and Jed English.
