University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball Falls at Western Carolina, 16-5
2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CULLOWHEE, N.C. (February 23, 2007) — Western Carolina starting pitcher Tyler Sexton allowed just two runs on three hits over six innings of mound duty to earn his second win of the season as the University of Connecticut baseball team was defeated, 16-5, by the Catamounts Friday afternoon from Childress Field.
Husky starting pitcher Rich Sirois (Ipswich, Mass.) was saddled with the loss, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits with three walks and one strikeout in three innings of work. Relief pitcher Dusty Odenbach (Rochester, N.Y.) also went three, allowing five runs on four hits, with John Folino (Quincy, Mass.) tossing the final two frames.
Western Carolina (3-1) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Jonathan Greene singled through the left side to drive in Jason Haynes who walked to start the inning.
UConn (0-1) responded with a pair of runs in the top half of the second inning to take a 2-1 lead after an inning and a half. Senior co-captain Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches, N.Y.) started the frame with a walk before fellow senior Matt Untiet (Berlin, Conn.) also drew a free pass, advancing Donovan to second in the process. After Josh Farkes (Boston, Mass.) reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases, sophomore Erik Turgeon (Palm Harbor, Fla.) doubled to left field two batters later, plating both Donovan and Untiet.
The Catamounts responded with two runs in the home half of the second inning to regain a one run lead, highlighted by a two-run home run off the bat of Kenny Smith to give Western Carolina a 3-2 advantage. WCU went on to register 13 unanswered runs to extend its lead to 16-2 through eight full innings.
The Huskies struck for three runs in the top of the ninth as sophomore Ted O’Reilly (Arlington, Mass.) started the inning with a single through the right side before taking second on a wild pitch. Freshman Peter Fatse (Hampden, Mass.) followed with his first collegiate hit, putting runners on first and third as he advanced O’Reilly up one base. O’Reilly would later score on a throwing error, while Faste touched home two batters later on a wild pitch. Sophomore Matt Burnett (Endicott, N.Y.) scored the third Husky run of the inning as he scored on the Catamount’s third wild pitch of the inning.
Sophomore infielder Dale Brannon (St. Petersburg, Fla.) led the Huskies at the plate, going 2-for-4, while Turgeon paced UConn with two RBIs.
UConn and Western Carolina resume the three-game series Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
-UCONN-
