University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 8 Notre Dame Takes Two From UConn
5/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game 1 Boxscores
Game 2 Boxscores
STORRS, CT (May 9) – The University of Connecticut baseball team dropped both games of Sunday’s doubleheader with No. 8 Notre Dame at J.O. Christian Field in Storrs, Conn. After a two hour rain delay, the Irish defeated UConn 4-0 in Game 1 and took an 11-4 decision in Game 2. With the losses, the Huskies slip to 22-23 overall and 6-13 in BIG EAST play while the Irish improve to 37-9, and move into first place in the BIG EAST with a 14-5 league mark.
The two sides will complete the three game series on Monday, May 10 with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 pm.
Jeff Hourigan (Beacon Falls, CT) pitched well for the Huskies in Game 1. The junior righty went the distance, giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four. The complete game was Hourigan’s fifth of the year. Chris Niesel was outstanding for the Irish. Niesel threw a complete game shutout, scattering six hits and striking out six.
The Irish took the lead for good with a two spot in the second inning. After Hourigan got the first two batters out on fly balls, Craig Cooper doubled into the right centerfield gap and scored on Cody Rizzo’s single into center. Edwards then scored on a single by Greg Lopez giving ND a 2-0 lead.
The Huskies would threaten, but suffered rally killing double-play balls in both the fourth and fifth innings.
The Irish would add a pair in the sixth for some insurance. Tim Dempsey (Lexington, MA) went 2-for-3 and was robbed of double on a diving catch by Irish first baseman Matt Edwards.
The Irish offense awoke in Game 2, as ND managed 11 runs on 15 hits. Third baseman Matt Macri went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle. Matt Edwards also hit a homer for the Irish.
Mike James (Roswell, GA) went 5.1 innings and gave up eight runs (six earned) on ten hits. Joe Smeraglino (Shelton, CT) came in for the final 3.2 and gave up one earned run on five hits. Grant Johnson got the win for ND, giving up three runs on four hits and striking out six.
The Huskies pulled to within two runs after they plated a pair in the home half of the third. Kyle Messineo (Cedar Grove, NJ) scored on an error by the Irish first baseman and Dempsey drove in Russ D’Argento with an RBI single, but the Huskies would get no closer.
