University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
7-4
University of Hawaii
7-5
HookC Erases Five-Run Deficit, Evens Series at Hawaii, 13-8
3/12/2023 5:58:00 AM | Baseball
HONOLULU - The UConn baseball team (7-4) erased a five-run deficit to even the series at Hawaii, 13-8, on Saturday night at Les Murakami Stadium.Â
The Huskies trailed 7-2 entering the fifth inning as the pitching staff struggled to throw strikes allowing six of the seven runs to reach base via a walk or hit by pitch.
After a lead off walk to David Smith in the fifth, the team captain stole second and third and eventually came in to score on a Ben Huber RBI single.
Zach Fogell helped change the momentum on the mound with two scoreless innings of work with no hits allowed and three punch outs.Â
Paul Tammaro cut the deficit in half in the sixth with his first career hit as a Husky, a two-run homer, that made it a 7-5 ballgame. The UConn second baseman finished the night with a three-hit evening.
After Fogell and Devin Kirby combined for a 1-2-3 sixth inning, the Huskies reclaimed the lead in the seventh.
Huber and Bryan Padilla walked and with one away Luke Broadhurst hit a slow ground ball to short that Jordan Donahue fired past the first baseman and down the right field line.
Both Huber and Padilla scored to tie the game and Broadhurst ended up at third base. Matt Garbowski quickly followed with an RBI single to right to give UConn an 8-7 lead.Â
Kirby kept the momentum with a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to keep the Huskies out in front.Â
The Huskies posted a five-run ninth inning to create some distance with Dominic Freeberger depositing a two-run single into center field, Jake Studley driving a two-run triple to the gap and Padilla adding an RBI base hit.
Kirby finished it out in the ninth to grab his second victory of the year as the Huskies totaled a season-high 20 hits at the plate.
It is already the third game this season the Huskies have come back from a deficit entering the sixth inning. The 2023 Huskies have already equaled the total from the 2022 team.
The Huskies and Rainbow Warriors will have a quick turnaround with a 7:05 p.m. ET/ 1:05 p.m. HT first pitch for game three of the four-game series.Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kirby, Devin (2-0)
L: Tai Atkins (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Smith, David 1 ; Broadhurst, Luke 2 ; Tammaro, Paul 1
3B: Studley, Jake 1 ; Padilla, Bryan 1
HR: Tammaro, Paul 1
RBI: Freeberger, Dominic 2 ; Huber, Ben 1 ; Studley, Jake 2 ; Padilla, Bryan 1 ; Broadhurst, Luke 1 ; Garbowski, Matt 1 ; Tammaro, Paul 2
SH: Smith, David 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, David 3 ; Freeberger, Dominic 1 ; Huber, Ben 1 ; Studley, Jake 1 ; Padilla, Bryan 2 ; Broadhurst, Luke 1 ; Garbowski, Matt 2 ; Tammaro, Paul 2
SB: Smith, David 2
CS: Huber, Ben 1
HBP: Huber, Ben 1
Batting:
RBI: Ben Zeigler-Namoa 1 ; Jacob Igawa 1 ; Kyson Donahue 3 ; Matt Wong 1 ; Jordan Donahue 1
SH: Kyson Donahue 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jacob Igawa 2 ; Stone Miyao 1 ; Dallas Duarte 1 ; Matthew Miura 2 ; Jordan Donahue 2
SB: Ben Zeigler-Namoa 1
HBP: Jared Quandt 1 ; Dallas Duarte 1
