University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Louisville
4/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
STORRS, Conn. (April 14, 2006) — Louisville starting pitcher Justin Marks allowed just one run over 6-1/3 innings of work en route to his third win of the season as the University of Connecticut baseball team dropped a 5-0 decision to the Cardinals in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon from J.O. Christian Field.
UConn freshman starting pitcher Dusty Odenbach (Rochester, N.Y.) fell to 1-3 on the season despite a strong pitching performance on the hill. Odenbach scattered nine hits over eight innings of mound duty, allowing just three runs (two earned) while striking out four Cardinals. Odenbach held the Cardinal offense scoreless for four consecutive innings in which held limited Louisville batters to just four hits.
Louisville (24-10, 8-3 BIG EAST) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Cardinal center fielder Boomer Whiting singled up the middle to begin the game, and stole his nation-best 42nd base of the season to reach second base. Whiting scored two batters later on first baseman Daniel Burton’s sacrifice fly into center field.
Whiting scored his second run of the game in the bottom of the third to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0. Residing on second base with two outs in the inning, Whiting came around to score as the Huskies were charged with an error on the infield after failing to field second baseman Logan Johnson’s grounder.
UConn (14-18, 3-8 BIG EAST) mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning as senior first baseman Matt Untiet (Berlin, Conn.) drew a one-out walk. Senior shortstop Dennis Donovan (Center Moriches, N.Y.) followed with a single through the right side to break up Marks’ no-hitter, forcing Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell to make a call to the bullpen. Reliever Kyle Hollander came on in relief of Marks and struck out senior Larry Day (Amesbury, Mass.) before retiring junior Matt Karl (Wallingford, Conn.) on a pop out to shortstop. Hollander would go on to record his second save of the season after pitching the final 2-2/3 innings.
The Cardinals tacked on a third run in the top of the eighth inning on designated hitter Jorge Castillo’s sacrifice fly into center field. Louisville added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning on a sacrifice bunt from shortstop Chris Cates and an RBI double from second baseman Logan Johnson.
UConn used a pitching gem of its own in the second game of the twin bill en route to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Husky starting pitcher Greg Nappo (Madison, Conn.) turned in a dominating performance on the hill as he limited Louisville to just one run on three hits in seven innings of work.
Husky sophomore reliever David Erickson (Stratford, Conn.) recorded his first save of the season after pitching the final two frames. Erickson, who sat out most of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, picked up his first save since Feb. 25, 2006.
Louisville starting pitcher Colby Wark (2-2) took the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in 3-2/3 innings of mound duty.
Donovan gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of first inning as he collected his team-leading 19th RBI of the season. Sophomore second baseman Dale Brannon (St. Petersburg, Fla.) reached on a fielder’s choice with one out before moving to second on a groundout by Untiet. Donovan provided UConn with a lead it would not surrender as he singled through the left side to plate Brannon.
UConn (15-18, 4-8 BIG EAST) tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Huskies capitalized on a pair of Louisville blunders. With runners on first and second with two outs, Husky right fielder Matt Burnett (Endicott, N.Y.) singled to shallow left field. Husky head coach Jim Penders held Karl at third base, but Louisville left fielder Isaiah Howes threw home even though Karl was standing on the bag. Cardinal catcher Jeff Arnold mishandled the throw, allowing Karl to score and both runners to advance one base. Day scored the final run of the inning as he crossed home on a passed ball charged to Arnold on the following play.
Johnson produced Louisville’s lone run of the game with a two-out RBI single to left field in the top of the fifth inning.
The Huskies added an insurance run in the bottom of the eight as Karl delivered a clutch two-out RBI single. Brannon singled on the infield to start the inning and moved to second on Untiet’s sacrifice bunt. After taking third on another groundout, Brannon raced home as Karl laced a ball of Johnson’s glove and into right field. Brannon finished the game 2-for-4 and was the lone Husky to record a multi-hit performance.
UConn returns to the diamond Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. as the Huskies play host to Quinnipiac at J.O. Christian Field. The game will be a makeup of the Mar. 21 game that was postponed due to weather.
Louisville 5, Connecticut 0 (Apr 14, 2007 at Storrs, Conn.) (Game 1)
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Louisville.......... 101 000 012 - 5 11 0 (24-10, 8-3)
Connecticut......... 000 000 000 - 0 1 3 (14-18, 3-8)
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Pitchers: Louisville - Marks; Hollander(7). Connecticut - ODENBACH, Dusty; MUSSON, Will(9).
Win-Marks(3-1) Save-Hollander(2) Loss-ODENBACH, Dusty(1-3) T-2:10 A-235
Game notes:
ID-521947
Game: CONN0414
Connecticut 4, Louisville 1 (Apr 14, 2007 at Storrs, Conn.) (Game 2)
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Louisville.......... 000 010 000 - 1 5 1 (24-11, 8-4)
Connecticut......... 100 200 01X - 4 7 0 (15-18, 4-8)
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Pitchers: Louisville - Wark; Logsdon(4); Magnuson(7). Connecticut - NAPPO, Greg;
ERICKSON, David(8).
Win-NAPPO, Greg(2-2) Save-ERICKSON, David(1) Loss-Wark(2-2) T-2:31 A-161
Game notes:
ID-541521
Game: CONN414B
-UCONN-
