Georgetown Takes Two From Connecticut

Bethesda, MD- Allowing opposing teams to score runs in the first inning is not something the University of Connecticut baseball team had done much of until Georgetown jumped on the Huskies early in both ends of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Bethesda, MD, for 6-3 and 5-2 victories. With the pair of losses, Connecticut's record is evened at 19- 19 and is 11-8 in the BIG EAST, while Georgetown moved to 12-32 overall and 5-15 in the BIG EAST.

Up until Saturday the point differential in the opening inning of UConn's games had been +17, the largest of any frame, but dipped by over a third to +10 after the Hoyas scored five in the opening inning of the first game and three in the same inning of the second and held on for the wins.

Game one saw UConn get on the board first when Jon Gorrie (Jr., Northboro, MA) singled to right field to allow Brian Tisbert (Sr., Andover, MA) to score. The single brought Gorrie's hitting streak to 15 straight as he went 2-for-3 to lead the team, before the string of games in which he had hit safely was snapped in the second half of the twinbill.

Georgetown manufactured all the runs it would need in the bottom half of the first as the Hoyas combined for five runs on five hits. A Jim Vankoski double to right center brought around Jason Boice and two batters later Robert O'Hare sent a two RBI double down the left field line. Michael Lombardi would make it 4-1 as he went to the right field line with his double, before Jay Catalano lifted a sacrifice fly to left to cap the scoring and chase UConn's Peter Soteropoulos (So., Peabody, MA) from the mound.

Soteropoulos went one inning allowing five hits on five runs before he was relieved by Jesse Carlson (So., Kensington, CT) in the second. The Huskies drew to within two as they scored runs in the third when Gorrie singled to right to plate Mike Scott (Jr., Darien, CT) and again in the fifth on a Gorrie sac fly that scored Scott, but that was as close as it would get. In the bottom of the fifth, Vankoski responded with a lead off homer for the Hoyas to put it out of reach.

Soteropoulos took the loss, which was his first of the season, to go to 2-1, while Matt Arizin got the victory to bring his record to 3-5. Arizin worked five and one third innings, giving up five hits, three earned runs, while walking six and striking out a pair. Tony Pina was credited with the save after coming on in the sixth and not allowing a run in one and two thirds innings.

The story of the second game was more of the same with UConn scoring a single run in the first, but letting the lead become insurmountable in the bottom half of the frame. A Mike Green miscue allowed Scott to score to put the Huskies up 1-0, but a Mike Leonard (Fr., Vernon, CT) fielding error tied the game. The Hoyas would get two more across to make it 3-1 after one and hold on as UConn got one back in the fourth when Dan Trubia (So., Tolland, CT) became the only member of the team to double in either game to score Mike Mocerino (Fr., Northboro, MA).

A two RBI double from Green in the seventh accounted for the Hoyas' final tallies of the game to bring the score to 5-2.

Patrick Sperone (Jr., Sicklerville, NJ) suffered the loss to go to 6-3 as he went six and one third, allowing nine hits, five earned runs, while walking three and striking out four. For the Hoyas, Kevin Field went eight, giving up six hits, two runs (one earned), while walking three and striking out two. As was the case in game one, Pina was awarded the save, which was his fifth of the season.

The three-game set will conclude Sunday at noon with Georgetown looking to become the only BIG EAST team this season to have swept the Huskies.

Georgetown, 6, UConn, 3
UConn (19,18, 11-7)  		101 010 0 -3 5 1
Georgetown (11-32, 4-14)	500 010 x- 6 9 0

Peter Soteropoulos, Jesse Carlson (2) and Mike Leonard. Matt Arizin, Tony Pina (6) and Michael Lombardi. Win-Arizin (3-5), Loss-Soteropoulos (2-1). Save-Pina (4). E-Trubia (UC). 2B-Vankoski (GU), O'Hare (GU), Lombardi (GU). HR-Vankoski (GU). SB-Tisbert (UC), Carlini (GU).
LOB-UConn-8, GU-5
DP-GU-1

Georgetown, 5, UConn, 2
UConn (19-19, 11-8)		100 100 000- 2 7 1
Georgetown (12-32, 5-15)	300 000 20X-5 9 2

Patrick Sperone, Mike James (7) and Mike Leonard. Kevin Field, Tony Pina (9) and Michael Lombardi. Win-Field (2-4). Loss-Sperone (6-3). Save-Pina (5). E-Leonard (UC), Green (GU), Cano (GU). 2B-Trubia (UC), Boice (GU), Green (GU), SB- Scott (UC), Soteropoulos (UC), O'Hare (GU).
LOB-UConn, 10, GU-8
DP-UC-2; GU-1

University of Connecticut Athletics

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