HookC Sweeps Doubleheader on Opening Day

Friday, February 16

Tampa, FL

2:00 PM

University of Connecticut

1-0

Louisville

0-2

Louisville

Connecticut

2/16/2024 10:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

TAMPA, Fla. - The UConn baseball team (2-0) recorded a doubleheader sweep on Opening Day with a walk-off, 4-3, victory against Louisville and 2-1 triumph against USF in the night cap at the USF Baseball Stadium on Friday.

Game 1

Junior Ian Cooke shined in his 2024 debut with the UConn starter going six shutout innings against the Cardinals, scattering three hits and struck out five.

Senior Korey Morton broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fifth with a no-doubt solo homer out to left.

After the Cardinals captured the lead in the seventh, 3-1, freshman right-hander Ben Schild came on with the bases loaded and one out and immediately induced a 4-6-3 double play to keep the Huskies within striking distance.

After 11 comeback victories in 2023 when trailing after five innings, the Huskies picked up where they left off in the eighth. Paul Tammaro and Jake Studley hit back-to-back home runs to even the score at 3-3.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the ninth. Matt Garbowski led off the frame with a walk and pinch-runner Caleb Shpur stole second and moved to third on a ground out.

With two down and the winning run at third base, Morton blooped a walk-off single to center to lift the Huskies to their first win of 2024.

Schild finished the day with 2.2 shutout innings, retired all seven batters to earn his first career victory in his collegiate debut.

Game 2

In the night cap, the Huskies received another excellent performance from its starting pitcher with left-hander Garrett Coe logging 5.1 innings of one-run ball. The senior notched his ninth career victory with just three hits allowed and struck out five.

UConn jumped on the board in the second on an RBI single from Ryan Daniels. Jake Studley followed with a two-out single in the third to boost the UConn lead to 2-0.

That is all the pitching staff would need as the Huskies secured a second-straight one run victory.

Redshirt sophomore Tommy Ellisen tossed 2.2 shutout innings including a big strikeout in the sixth inning with runners at second and third and two outs.

Junior Brady Afthim registered his first career save by striking out the side in the ninth.

Game Notes

The Huskies were 8-4 in doubleheaders in 2023.
Korey Morton smacked his 17th career home run in the season opener vs. Louisville
Ian Cooke has now thrown 8.2 shutout innings at the USF Baseball Stadium in his career (2 appearances).
UConn has won four of its last five meetings against Louisville.
Friday's Opening Day twin bill was the first doubleheader on Opening Day for UConn since 2006 (at FAU)
The doubleheader sweep on Opening Day was the first for UConn since doing so on March 10, 1991 against Ithaca and St. Leo.