University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
27-11, 0
Butler University
15-26, 0
Softball Takes Series Win over Butler
4/15/2023 9:18:00 PM | Softball
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn softball team (27-11) clinched their sixth straight series win over Butler, 9-1 on Saturday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd. The Huskies offense put up a crooked number in the fifth inning, scoring five runs breaking open the game.
Payton Kinney was credited with her tenth win of the season. She tossed four innings in the circle for the Huskies, with four strikeouts. This is the second time Kinney has reached double digit wins in a season in her career, the first coming in her freshman year (11 Wins).
Savannah Ring opened the scoring for the Huskies in the second inning, with a single to center, scoring Jana Sanden and Makenzie Mason, giving UConn an early 2-0 lead.
Butler scored their only run in the third inning on a bases loaded walk. The Huskies responded quickly with a run in the bottom half of the third inning off the bat of Hope Jenkins. She hit a single to left field, scoring Sanden from second base, making it 3-1 Huskies.
Meghan O'Neil came in relief for Kinney in the fifth inning, finishing out the final two innings in the circle. O'Neil kept the Bulldogs scoreless, adding four strikeouts.
UConn's offense exploded in the fifth, sending all nine batters to the plate in the inning. Aziah James kick started the inning with a single to center field. Grace Jenkins drove in James with her team leading tenth double of the season. Rosie Garcia plated Jenkins from second with a single to left field, her 14th RBI of the season, making it 5-1. After Lauren Benson laid down a sacrifice bunt moving two runners into scoring position, Mason reached on an error by Butler, allowing Sanden to score from third base. Taylor Zatyk followed Mason with a groundout to first base allowing Garcia to score from third base. Mason came around to score on another Butler fielding error, capping off the five run inning and giving UConn a commanding 8-1 lead.
The Huskies ended the game in the sixth inning, securing their sixth run-rule win of the season. Grace Jenkins got the winning hit for the second straight game, hitting a double in almost the exact spot she hit her walk off on Friday night, scoring James all the way from first base on the play.
UConn will go for their third straight series sweep tomorrow afternoon on Senior Day at 12:00pm. Senior Day festivities will begin at 11:30am. Tickets are available HERE.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kinney, Payton (10-5)
L: CAMMON, Sydney (5-5)
S: O'Neil, Meghan (6)
Batting:
RBI: RYAN, Kieli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WHITE, Ella 1
SB: LEHNER, Cate 1
Batting:
2B: Jenkins , Grace 2
RBI: Jenkins , Grace 2 ; Garcia, Rosie 1 ; Jenkins , Hope 1 ; Mason, Makenzie 1 ; Zatyk, Taylor 1 ; Ring, Savannah 2
SH: Benson, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: James, Aziah 2 ; Jenkins , Grace 1 ; Sanden, Jana 3 ; Garcia, Rosie 1 ; Mason, Makenzie 2
SB: Garcia, Rosie 1 ; Mason, Makenzie 1
