University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
17-13, 0
St. John's University
9-18, 0
Huskies Post Walk Off, Run-Rule Wins over St. John’s
5/1/2021 8:06:00 PM | Softball
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn (18-13, 10-4 BIG EAST) softball team increased its winning streak to five games with a pair of dubs over the St. John's Red Storm (9-19, 6-14 BIG EAST) in the Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Burrill Family Field.
The Huskies swept the two-game set and did it in completely different fashions. UConn grinded out a tight, but thrilling 4-3 win in walk-off fashion in the opening game of the afternoon. The Huskies followed that up by run-ruling the Red Storm, 9-1, in five innings.
Graduate student Devon Casazza also heard her name read over the speakers at Burrill Family Field as the Huskies celebrated her accomplishments during her five years in Storrs in a senior day ceremony prior to game one.
Game 1 – UConn 4, St. John's 3
The Huskies came out red-hot in the bottom of the first inning after successfully retiring the Red Storm batters. Reese Guevarra led off with a single then stole second after catching the defense napping; a couple plays later she snatched another bag and took up real estate at third. Her efforts would be rewarded on the next at bat as Jana Sanden knocked a single up the middle to bring Guevarra home and give UConn a 1-0 lead. Sami Barnett, Briana Marcelino and Hollis Wivell sent singles into the outfield – the latter scoring Sanden to double the Husky lead.
Scoring would come at a premium across the next five innings. The teams were deadlocked in a pitchers' duel backed by efficient defense on both sides, logging just one combined hit and no runs. St. John's finally managed to break through in the seventh scoring three runs on three hits. The Red Storm knotted the game at two apiece after scoring on a 2 RBI double to right field, then grabbed a one-run lead on a single.
The Huskies would have the last laugh though. Trailing 3-2, UConn responded in the bottom of the seventh, and the buildup was one for the books. Casazza was the leadoff batter and singled to left center. The speedy Cali Jolley entered the game to pinch run for Casazza and moved up to second on Lauren Benson's sac bunt. Freshman Rileigh De Weese subbed in to pinch hit for Emily Piergustavo and reached base on an error, then Piergustavo re-entered the ballgame as a pinch runner for DeWeese. Back at the top of the batting order, Guevarra stepped up to the plate and smashed a single up the middle. The power on the hit positioned it perfectly so that Jolley could round home plate and level the score at three. Aziah James reached on a fielder's choice which moved Guevarra to second, then Sanden got hit by the pitch during her plate appearance and just like that, the bases were loaded up. With the momentum shifting back in the favor of UConn, Sami Barnett reached on an error to score Guevarra and walk it off for the Huskies.
Marybeth Olson started in the circle for UConn and went six innings with four strikeouts before Meghan O'Neil (8-3) relieved her to toss the final inning.
Game 2 – UConn 9, St. John's 1
Feeding off the momentum from the thrilling victory in game one, the Huskies cruised to a run-rule dub as they overwhelmed the Red Storm, 9-1.
The Huskies got off to an extremely fast start in the bottom of the first and blew the lid off with a five-spot in the frame. Guevarra started off the half inning with a single to through the left side and immediately followed it up with a theft of second – her third stolen bag of the day. Guevarra moved up to third on a ground out, then scored on Sanden's single to right field the game's first run. A walk placed Barnett on first and advanced Sanden to second before Marcelino's slapped a single of her own down the left field line to shift the pair to second and third and put UConn in scoring position. The aforementioned trio would ultimately reach home to increase the advantage to four. A ground out ended the inning, but not before Guevarra's single to center field brought in Wivell for a 5-0 Husky lead.
The Huskies didn't stop there…ballooning their lead to eight following three more runs in the second. Sanden kicked off the inning with a bomb to center field and then later in the frame, Benson sent a two-bagger up the middle which allowed Wivell and Barnett to come around and score. Sanden added a run in the third to make it 9-0, UConn.
St. John's was able to deny the shutout bid with a score in the top of the fifth, but got nothing else as a line out to second base closed out the inning, and the game.
O'Neil picked up her ninth win of the 2021 campaign as she pitched the full five innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Neil, Meghan (8-3)
L: Erin Brown (4-8)
Batting:
2B: Marissa Rizzi 1 ; Kamryn Tiumalu 1
RBI: Gretchen Bowie 1 ; Kamryn Tiumalu 2
SH: Amelia Ditolvo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kalei Sorensen 1 ; Gabriella Conca 1 ; Elyse Morris 1
SB: Elyse Morris 1
HBP: Marissa Rizzi 1 ; Kalei Sorensen 1 ; Elyse Morris 1
Batting:
RBI: Guevarra, Reese 1 ; Sanden, Jana 1 ; Wivell, Hollis 1
SH: Benson, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Guevarra, Reese 2 ; Sanden, Jana 1 ; Jolley, Cali 1
SB: Guevarra, Reese 2
HBP: Sanden, Jana 1
