University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball Takes Game Three With South Florida, 6-2
4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
STORRS, Conn. (April 1, 2007) — University of Connecticut baseball starting pitcher Greg Nappo (Madison, Conn.) notched his first collegiate victory and junior Matt Karl (Wallingford, Conn.) went 3-for-3 with four RBIs as the Huskies defeated South Florida, 6-2, in the final game of a three-game series Sunday afternoon from J.O. Christian Field.
Nappo (1-2) stifled the South Florida hitters during his 5-1/3 innings on the hill, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out four. Nappo surrendered a leadoff single to South Florida shortstop Walter Diaz, and then went through the next 10 hitters before allowing another hit.
Sophomore David Erickson (Stratford, Conn.) came on in relief of Nappo and pitched a scoreless remainder of the sixth and the seventh inning. Karl pitched the final two innings and didn’t allow a hit to preserve the win for the Huskies.
South Florida starting pitcher Yuri Higgins (4-2) suffered the loss after being touched for six runs on eight hits in 5-2/3 innings of mound duty.
UConn (11-12, 3-3 BIG EAST) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Karl notched his first RBI of the afternoon. Freshman left fielder Peter Fatse (Hampden, Mass.) opened the inning with a double into center field before taking third when second baseman Dale Brannon (St. Petersburg, Fla.) singled into left field. After senior first baseman Matt Untiet (Berlin, Conn.) walked to load the bases, Karl drew a one-out walk of his own to plate Brannon from third.
The Huskies tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third by capitalizing of a pair of South Florida errors. Senior right fielder Josh Farkes (Boston, Mass.) reached on an error by Diaz to start the inning and then stole second. After the Bulls induced the first Husky out of the inning on a line out into center field, Farkes swiped third base. Fatse continued the inning with a walk, before Brannon plated Farkes with a single to left field. Untiet was then the second beneficiary of a Bull error, loading the bases by reaching on an error by second baseman Dexter Butler. Senior shortstop Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches, N.Y.) next singled to shortstop to drive in Fatse from third. Karl capped the inning when he laced a two-run double into left field to bring home both Brannon and Untiet.
South Florida (22-9, 6-3 BIG EAST) struck for its only two runs of the afternoon in the top of the sixth inning. Designated hitter Charles Cleveland produced an RBI single to center field, while center fielder Ty Taborelli accounted for the final run on a fielder’ choice.
Karl made his presence felt again in the bottom of the sixth as the Huskies answered with a run of their own. Brannon drew a walk to open the frame and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Untiet. Karl collected his fourth RBI of the game when he tallied a two-out single to left field to plate Brannon.
UConn returns to the diamond Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. when the Huskies welcome Boston College to J.O. Christian Field.
Connecticut 6, South Florida 2 (Apr 01, 2007 at Storrs, Conn.)
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South Florida....... 000 002 000 - 2 5 2 (22-9, 6-3)
Connecticut......... 100 401 00X - 6 9 1 (11-12, 3-3)
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Pitchers: South Florida - HIGGINS; BILARDELLO(6); SANFORD(6). Connecticut - NAPPO, Greg;
ERICKSON, David(6); KARL, Matt(8).
Win-NAPPO, Greg(1-2) Loss-HIGGINS(4-2) T-2:43 A-197
Game notes:
ID-530307
BILARDELLO faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Game: CONN0401
-UCONN-
