University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Win Seventh In a Row; Top Delaware, 11-9
3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Connecticut 0 1 0 4 1 3 0 1 1 -- 11 17 0
Delaware 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 2 -- 9 13 2
UC: Mike James, Josh MacDonald (8), Ted Garry (9) and Mike Leonard. UD: Scott Rambo, Chad Kerfoot (6), Joe Coudon (8), Mike Iannucci (9) and Brian Valichka. WP- James (2-1). LP- Rambo (3-2). Save- Garry (1). 2B: UC- Russ D’Argento, Tony Mallozzi (2), Bryan Maler, Mike McDonough, Dave Tokarz; UD- Steve Van Note, Valichka. 3B: UC- Mallozzi. HR: UC- Leonard, McDonough; UD - Bryan Hagerich, Valichka.
NEWARK, DE (March 20) -- Junior Tony Mallozzi (Westborough, MA) had three extra-base hits and senior Mike James (Roswell, GA) threw seven innings on the mound to lead the University of Connecticut baseball team to an 11-9 win over Delaware on Saturday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium in Newark, DE. The win, which snapped a 13-game Blue Hen winning streak, improves UConn to 7-5 on the season while Delaware falls to 13-5. UD had not lost since Feb. 22 and held a 12-game home winning streak that dated back to last season.
The home team scored first as a single up the middle by Dave Harden and an RBI ground out by Brock Donovan put Delaware up 2-0 after an inning of play. UConn got one of the runs back in the top of the second on a Bryan Maler RBI groundout, but UD would take a 4-1 lead an inning later on a two-RBI single by Kelly Buber.
The Husky offense started to exert itself in the top of the fourth when UConn plated four runs on the strength of two-run home runs by senior Mike Leonard (Vernon, CT) and junior Mike McDonough (Abington, MA). Delaware tied the game at 5-5 on an RBI single by Harden in the bottom of the frame, but UConn retook the lead at 6-5 in the top of the fifth after back-to-back doubles to open the inning by junior Russ D’Argento (Marlborough, MA) and Mallozzi. The seesaw affair continued in the bottom of the fifth when UD’s Brian Valichka delivered a two-run home run to left field to retake the lead for the Blue Hens.
After taking turns holding the lead, UConn got the upper hand in the contest with a trio of runs in the sixth. Maler reached on an infield single with one out and came home a batter later as McDonough delivered a double. A D’Argento single and a triple from Mallozzi would plate a run apiece to give the Huskies a 9-7 advantage. UConn would add a single run in the eighth on a single to center field by senior Marc Peluso (Pawcatuck, CT) and another in the ninth compliments of a single by senior Dave Tokarz (Seymour, CT).
The Blue Hens rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring twice on a home run by Bryan Hagerich down the left field line, but with the tying run at the plate and two out, freshman Ted Garry (Rochester, MN) came out of the bullpen to strike out pinch hitter Ed McDonnell swinging to end the game and earn his first career save.
James threw seven innings for the Huskies to improve to 2-1 on the season. The senior allowed seven runs and 11 hits while fanning three with a trio of walks. Josh MacDonald went 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with a strikeout and a pair of walks, before Garry struck out the only batter he faced. Starter Scott Rambo got the loss for Delaware, allowing nine runs in his 5.2 innings of work. The UConn defense, meanwhile, played errorless baseball for the fourth time this year.
The Huskies and Blue Hens will face each other again on Sunday at 1:00 in Newark.
