University of Connecticut Athletics
Dempsey's Two-Run Blast Lifts UConn Over Hartford
4/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SIMSBURY, CT (April 29) -- Tim Dempsey (Lexington, MA) hit a two-run homerun over the right field fence in the top of fourth inning to give the Huskies the lead for good, as the University of Connecticut baseball team defeated the University of Hartford 6-2 on Thursday evening at Memorial Stadium in Simsbury, Conn. With the victory, the Huskies improve to 22-21 on the season while the Hawks fall to 9-22.
The Huskies gave up two quick runs to Hartford in the first inning, but five UConn pitchers combined to shutout the Hawks over the final eight frames. Jeff Hourigan (Beacon Falls, CT) started for UConn and gave up two runs on three hits in two innings of work. Ron Acabbo hit a two run homer in the first to give Hartford the early lead.
The Huskies responded with two runs in the third. Kyle Messineo (Cedar Grove, NJ) got the Huskies on the board when he scored on Marc Peluso’s (Pawcatuck, CT) RBI groundout and Hourigan singled in Tony Mallozzi (Westboro, MA) to knot the game up at two. Hourigan now has a team-high 34 RBI this season.
Dave Tokarz (Seymour, CT) drew a one out walk in the fourth to set up Dempsey’s two-run shot.
Brendan McGinn (Tolland, CT) got the win for UConn. The sophomore lefty went three innings and gave up three hits and struck out three batters and held the Hawks scoreless. Tim Norton (Pascoag, RI) pitched a scoreless sixth and Rich Sirois (Ipswich, MA) and Mike James (Roswell, GA) polished off the Hawks with three scoreless frames.
Both Peluso and Mallozzi went 2-for-5 with one run scored and an RBI for the Huskies. Hourigan and Dempsey each drove in a pair of runs.
The Huskies are back in action on Sunday, May 9 when they take on No. 7 Notre Dame in Storrs. Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader will begin at 12:00 p.m.
