University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
St. John's
Huskies Gut Out 3-1 Rubber Game at St. John's
3/18/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
QUEENS, N.Y. - Great pitching and timely hitting led the UConn baseball team to a rubber game victory, 3-1, against St. John's on Sunday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium.
Runs were hard to come by with cold temperatures in the 30's and both pitching staffs executing pitches early. Chase Gardner was solid on the hill logging four scoreless innings to kick off his outing. In a scoreless ballgame, the Johnnies struck first with an RBI single in the fifth. Gardner and Ronnie Rossomando combined to get the next two batters to keep it a one-run deficit.
UConn responded in the sixth with quality at bats that led to a three-spot. Anthony Prato led off the frame with a two-strike base hit to put the leadoff batter on for the first time in the game. Isaac Feldstein converted with runners at first and second with a two-strike, two-run triple to push the Huskies in front. Thad Phillips followed with a two-strike RBI groundout to bring in Feldstein from third.
That was all the UConn bullpen would need with Rossomando, Jacob Wallace and P.J. Poulin combining to throw 4.1 scoreless innings. Rossomando earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings that saw the UConn right-hander retire all seven batters he faced.
Wallace bridged the gap to Poulin with a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless eighth inning.
Poulin recorded his fifth save of the year and second in as many days with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
Up next, the Huskies hope to play their home opener on Tuesday, March 20 vs. Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. Stay tuned to schedule updates on UConnhuskies.com or on Facebook and Twitter at UConnBSB.
Notes
After 116 meetings between UConn and St. John's the series is now deadlocked 58-58. Huskies win first series in Queens since 2006 season when Huskies swept a two-game series.
UConn ties a program record with its first 16 contests being true away games. The Huskies also played 16 true away games to begin the 1995 season.
UConn bullpen fired 7.1 shutout innings allowing three hits and striking out 13 in the Huskies two victories in the series.
The Huskies secured a 4-3 record during their 11-day spring break trip. UConn has posted at least a .500 spring break trip seven of its last nine trips.
Isaac Feldstein produced his team-leading sixth multi-RBI effort with his two-run triple in the sixth.
Huskies are 3-2 in "Rubber Games" this season.
