University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Heads to the Sunshine State for FAU Tournament
2/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BOCA RATON, Fla. - After securing two wins in its opening weekend, the University of Connecticut softball team returns to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 19 to participate in the 2016 FAU "Strike Out" Cancer Tournament.
The Huskies are slated to face Florida A&M (12 p.m.) and Florida Atlantic (6:45 p.m.) on Friday at FAU Stadium. UConn will take on Northern Illinois at 11 a.m. and conclude the tournament with a rematch against FAMU at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.
UConn (2-3) opened its 2016 campaign at the LSU Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La. last weekend, getting both of its wins over North Florida. At the dish, senior OF Alyssa Gardea earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference honor roll after blasting a home run and driving in four runs throughout the weekend. Freshman RHP Jill Stockley also nabbed a spot on the honor roll after she earned a pair of wins in the circle, holding opponents to a .203 BAA in 16.1 innings pitched.
Connecticut last played at the FAU "Strike Out" Cancer Tournament in 2013, winning three of its five tournament games, including against the tournament host and NIU.
The Huskies are 11-3 all-time against FAMU but dropped the last meeting in 2010, 5-2. UConn and FAU last did battle in March of 2014 when the Huskies fell, 9-2, in the tournament matchup. Connecticut pulled out a 8-7 (8) victory against Northern Illinois last year after Jacklyn Dubois scampered home on a wild pitch to walk off with the win. The Huskies trail both FAU and NIU, 5-2, in the all-time series.
After the first weekend of play, Gardea leads the team with a stellar .467 batting average and .467 OBP. She has seven hits so far, which ties for fourth in the American Athletic Conference standings. Rookie INF Taylor Smith has a team-high .800 slugging percentage with two doubles and four RBIs.
Fans can keep up with the team via the link posted above or by following @UConnSoftball on Twitter.
