University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Temple
UConn Falls To Temple in 14 Innings, 7-4
4/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 18, 2014
STORRS, Conn. - Blake Davey hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extras, but the University of Connecticut baseball team fell, 7-4, to Temple in 14 innings on Friday at J.O. Christian Field. UConn drops to .500 on the season at 18-18 (5-5 The American), while Temple improves to 11-19 (6-8 The American).
Davey (Newport Beach, Calif.) stepped to the dish with one on and one out in the bottom of the ninth and sent a shot over the left field wall to tie the game. The right-handed hitter notched three hits in seven at-bats and registered three of UConn's four RBIs.
Bryan Daniello (Norwalk, Conn.) was one of four Huskies to record multi-hit days, as the infielder finished the afternoon with a 3-for-7 showing and scored a run, while Connor David (Cheshire, Conn.) and Griffin Garabedian (Hamden, Conn.) each notched two hits.
Jordan Tabakman (Pompton Plains, N.J.) took the ball for the Huskies and lasted 5.0 innings, allowing two Temple runs on six hits, while striking out one. The righty struggled with his command at times, issuing four walks and hitting two Owl batters. For Temple, Patrick Vanderslice earned the start and worked through six innings, allowing seven hits and two runs (one earned) and also striking out three Huskies.
Freshman RHP Andrew Zapata (Staten Island, N.Y.) took over in relief in the sixth inning and allowed two runs and four hits in his four innings of work. He was followed by David Mahoney (Colchester, Conn.) who was brilliant in a career-high 4.2 innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Temple picked up the game's first run in the opening frame, taking advantage of a pair of hits and a hit-by-pitch. The Owls extended their lead to 2-0 in the second, pushing across a run on a sac fly to center field.
The Huskies halved the lead in the home half of the second, as Jack Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn.) picked up an RBI groundout to shortstop. UConn pulled even in its next at-bat, grabbing a run after Davey roped a single into left field to score Daniello, who doubled to open the inning.
The Owls took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning after manufacturing a run with a leadoff single, sac bunt and an RBI single from leadoff hitter Reyn Sugai. Temple added its final run an inning later when Frank D'Agonstino laced a two-out single down the third base line to score Derek Peterson, who opened the frame with a walk.
After Davey's home run forced extra innings, the Huskies best chance in extras came in the 12th inning. UConn loaded the bases with two-down, but Temple hurler Patrick Krall was able to induce an inning-ending popup to third. Temple scratched across three runs in the top of the 14th, when a two-out error chased Mahoney (1-3) before a pair of run-scoring hits made it 7-4, the final score.
The squads will complete the three-game set with a finale on Saturday, April 19. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Game Notes
- David Mahoney's 4.2 innings of relief marked a new career high.
- With 13 hits today, the Huskies have recorded double-digit hits in each of the last five games.
- Blake Davey now has recorded eight of UConn's 17 home runs this season.
- UConn falls to 3-5 this season in extra inning action.
