University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Oklahoma State
Huskies Split DH Action on Saturday
3/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - For the second-straight day, the UConn softball team earned a doubleheader split in the Oklahoma State Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday with a loss to Oklahoma State and victory over Purdue.
The Huskies (9-14), who are now 2-2 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, manufactured seven runs on seven hits - and were led by junior pitcher Jill Stockley - in their 7-1 win over the Boilermakers. In the first game of the day, UConn dropped an 8-0 decision to host Oklahoma State in five innings.
"We showed some great fight in the second game," said head coach Jen McIntyre. "We made some costly mistakes in the first game against Oklahoma State, but we bounced back really well."
Senior Emma Stanley and freshman Hollis Wivell each recorded multi-hit games against Purdue, while sophomore Carli Cutler blasted a solo home run in the fifth inning - her second of the season - to lead UConn's offensive attack.
It was a five-run third inning that put the Huskies in front of Purdue, a lead it would not relinquish, that resulted in their second split in two days. On Friday, UConn lost to Drake, but beat Pacific with a five-inning mercy rule.
The Huskies play their final game in Oklahoma City on Sunday against Saint Francis (PA). First pitch is at 11 a.m. ET and the live stream is free for all viewers.
Game 1 - Oklahoma State 8, UConn 0 (F/5)
Sophomore utility player Carissa Brizzi recorded a pinch-hit single in the fifth inning, her first hit since suffering an injury on Feb. 10 in Jacksonville, as the Huskies dropped an 8-0 decision to Oklahoma State in the first game on Saturday.
The Cowgirls scored all eight runs in the first three innings, resulting in the mercy-rule victory. Sophomore pitcher Katie Koshes struck-out four batters in 2.2 innings of relief, following the start of senior pitcher Chelsea Eckert (1-1).
Sophomore Devon Casazza and freshman Hollis Wivell each drew walks, but were stranded on base. The Huskies left three runners on against Oklahoma State pitcher Logan Simunek, who recorded the complete-game shutout.
Oklahoma State tallied four runs in the first inning, including a two-run single by Whitney Whitehorn. In the third inning, home runs by Vanessa Shippy and Randee O'Donnell pushed the deficit to eight.
The single for Brizzi was the first hit of the season for the second-year player, who made her return from an ankle injury against Jacksonville State on the second day of the season.
Huskies earn the DH split, rolling past Purdue in the second game on Saturday at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. #PhaseWhy pic.twitter.com/OIsb6c958m
- UConn Softball (@UConnSoftball) March 10, 2018
Game 2 - UConn 7, Purdue 1
A five-run third inning sparked a 7-1 victory for UConn over Purdue, avenging a loss to the Boilermakers in the 2017 season. Stanley and Wivell each had two hits, while Stockley allowed just one run in a complete-game win.
Following a solo home run by Purdue in the first inning, the Huskies scored seven unanswered runs over the next five innings - bouncing back from a defeat earlier in the day to Oklahoma State.
"Our whole theme this year is passing the bat. We did a good job of putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the defense to make plays," said McIntyre.
Five different players had hits for the Huskies, while four added RBI. In her first game out of the clean-up spot, freshman Sam Barnett recorded an RBI single in the third inning to tie the game, 1-1.
"Sam is seeing the ball really well. She has great command and a great eye at the plate. She's been swinging a hot stick for us," said McIntyre.
Sophomore Devon Casazza added an RBI walk with the bases loaded to give UConn a 2-1 lead, while freshman Maura Glatczak and senior Ryne Nakama reached on consecutive fielding errors by Purdue - plating two more runs.
In the fourth inning, Casazza drove in her second run of the game with a double to center field - scoring redshirt freshman Olivia Sappington - and reaching base for her sixth-straight game. Cutler smacked her home run in the fifth, capping-off UConn's scoring.
Stockley was masterful for the Huskies, striking out four batters and scattering seven hits over seven innings. She stranded nine runners on base for Purdue, including the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh frames.
It is the sixth game this season that UConn has scored seven or more runs. The Huskies have a 5-1 record in such games.
