University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
34-22
University of Houston
32-23
BSB Walks-Off vs. Houston To Open American Championship, 4-3
5/21/2019 2:46:00 PM | Baseball
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Spectrum Field has been home to a few wild moments for the UConn baseball team over the years and on Tuesday just past noon, David Langer walked off the Huskies with an RBI single to defeat Houston, 4-3, in the opening game of the conference tournament.
The fourth-seeded Huskies (34-22) had not walked off all season until Tuesday when their junior third baseman shot a bullet into center to score pinch runner Thad Phillips from second. It is the second walk-off for UConn in its last three games after Troy Stefanski sent the Huskies to the American Athletic Conference championship game a season ago with his walk-off base hit.
The Huskies and Cougars went back and forth on Tuesday with the feel of two NCAA Tournament clubs looking to ensure their names are shown on Memorial Day on the NCAA Selection Show.
Kyler Fedko and the Huskies struck first on a two-run laser to left field, the fourth long ball of the season for the freshman to make it 2-0 in the second.
The Moment!! https://t.co/BA1OlzZ830
— UConn Baseball (@UConnBSB) May 21, 2019
By design, Jimmy Wang pitched two scoreless inning for the Huskies with UConn hoping for him to get through the order once. Senior Jeff Kersten, on his throw day, lobbied the coaches for an opportunity to get in the game and dazzled in 3.1 innings. The only blemish for Kersten was a solo home run for Jared Triolo, on a good inside pitch, that the American Athletic Conference second team third baseman muscled into the seats, to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
The Cougars tied it an inning later on the pure strength of slugger Joe Davis. The first baseman hit the pitch off the end of the bat but had enough strength to get it over the wall in left for his 18th homer of the year.
Houston took its first lead in the top of the seventh but Paul Gozzo immediately tied it with a home run of his own. It's the fifth-extra base hit the last four games for the junior.
The game remained tied behind the three-headed monster of CJ Dandeneau, Caleb Wurster and Jake Wallace. Dandeneau settled down after the go-ahead single in the seventh and got key outs down the stretch. The redshirt senior recorded seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings including back-to-back K's in the eighth against Triolo and Derrick Cherry.
Caleb Wurster came on in the ninth and got into a predicament with runners on the corners and one out but the lefty buckled down and struck out Kobe Hyland for the second out. Jake Wallace then came in, walked a batter, but then struck out Burckel to end the bases loaded threat.
In the ninth, Pat Winkel singled, Gozzo laid down a sacrifice bunt and the Cougars opted to walk Chris Winkel to set up a double play. After a lengthy at-bat from Kyler Fedko wore down Houston closer Fred Villarreal, Langer came through with the game-winner to send UConn to the winner's bracket.
The Huskies will await the winner of No. 1 ECU – No. 8 Wichita State for a winner's bracket date on Thursday, May 23 at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wallace, Jacob (3-1)
L: VILLARREAL (5-4)
Batting:
HR: DAVIS, J. 1 ; TRIOLO, J. 1
RBI: DAVIS, J. 1 ; TRIOLO, J. 1 ; HYLAND, K. 1
SH: FUENTES III 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DAVIS, J. 1 ; TRIOLO, J. 1 ; PADGETT, G. 1
SB: TRIOLO, J. 1 ; BIELAMOWICZ 1 ; PADGETT, G. 1 ; HYLAND, K. 1
CS: TRIOLO, J. 1
HBP: PADGETT, G. 1
Batting:
2B: Gozzo, Paul 1
3B: Fedko, Kyler 1
HR: Gozzo, Paul 1 ; Fedko, Kyler 1
RBI: Gozzo, Paul 1 ; Fedko, Kyler 2 ; Langer, David 1
SH: Gozzo, Paul 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Phillips, Thad 1 ; Gozzo, Paul 2 ; Fedko, Kyler 1
SB: Woodworth, Michael 1 ; Winkel, Chris 1
