Home run frenzy leads to a pair of wins

Saturday, March 16

Macon, Ga.

9:00 am

University of Connecticut

6-12

Fordham University

7-13

UConn

Fordham

Photo by: Eric Espada/UCONN Athletics

3/16/2019 10:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MACON, Ga.—The UConn softball (7-12) team played a pair of phenomenal games on Day Two of the Mercer Bears Classic against the Rams of Fordham (7-14) and a rematch versus the Coyotes of South Dakota (16-15). The Huskies took Game One in a 3-1 victory over the Rams bright and early at 9:00 a.m. An intermission and a few late running games put first-pitch of UConn's 7-0 win over South Dakota at 7:07 p.m.

The Huskies made hitting look easy today, specifically home runs. The team posted several homers on the day via a pair of sophomores—Briana Marcelino and Reese Guevarra. Marcelino tagged two of those as her own, hitting one in each contest today. Guevarra nabbed her second homer of the season in the first matchup of the day. Junior Carli Culter joined her teammates in the hitting frenzy and powered out a triple, her first of the 2019 campaign, in the second game. As a team the Huskies posted 18 hits on the day.

Game 1

The early bird really does catch the worm, and Marcelino proved that true this morning. At 9:00 a.m. Marcelino stepped into the batter's box and homered through the right side to get her team on the scoreboard first. She was the first batter of the game. Freshman Ashley Esty got herself to first on a single to right field. A ground out would move her over to second then when fellow freshman Alexis Lemus reached on a fielding error, Esty took off to score. UConn closed their half inning on a ground out leaving one stranded but with a 2-0 lead over Fordham.

Guevarra joined in on the home run fest in the sixth, knocking hers to the same exact place as Marcelino's. The lead would increase to three where it would ultimately stay.

Fordham's Aughinbaugh doubled through the right side to score her teammate for the Ram's solo run of the contest.

Defensively, the Huskies were able to hold the Rams to one hit or less from the start until Fordham broke the seal in the bottom of the fifth. UConn was led by senior Jill Stockley who tossed a pair of innings and was relieved by Katie Koshes (1-3) who took the win going the remainder of the contest. The duo delivered a total of 10 strikeouts after facing 24 batters.

Game 2

The Huskies wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard in this rematch against the Coyotes of South Dakota. In the bottom of the first, Esty singled through the left side then stole second and advance to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Knowing her teammate is in position to score, Guevarra's at-bat brought Esty home.

UConn scored in the follow half inning on a dinger sent flying over the wall at left center from Marcelino. Her four RBI homer rounded junior Ashlee Dahman and senior Kelli Bates as well as sophomore Maura Glatczak. Prior to Marcelino's at-bat, Lemus' singled to right field and Glatczak single to the opposite corner put the pair on base. Bates entered the game to pinch run for Lemus and Dahman took up real-estate at first on a walk.

A couple of innings later, Cutler's triple to right field to score Marcelino and pinch hitter freshman Aziah James would be all she wrote in this matchup.

On the other side of the diamond, the Huskies kept the Coyotes to two hits or less throughout the duration of the game. UConn was led by the efforts of sophomore Marybeth Olson who improved to 5-3 with this win. Olson only gave up four Coyote hits and delivered four strikeouts through 27 South Dakota batters.

Day Three and the final day of the Mercer Bears Classic will start for UConn at 11:15 a.m. in a game against Cleveland State. The Huskies will face host Bears at 1:30 p.m. Live stats are available for both games.