University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
10-16, 0
Xavier
15-14, 0
Bad Start Leads to BIG EAST Opening Loss for HookC
4/5/2024 8:06:00 PM | Baseball
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn baseball team (10-16, 0-1 BIG EAST) lost its BIG EAST opener to Xavier (15-14, 1-0 BIG EAST), 9-5, on Friday afternoon at Elliot Ballpark.
The Musketeers scored five runs in the first and added four runs in the third to take a commanding 9-0 lead against LHP Gabe Van Emon and the Huskies.
RHP Ian Cooke was a bright spot out of the bullpen with 5.1 shutout frames that featured a season-high nine strikeouts.Â
RHP Hector Alejandro made his 2024 debut on Friday and pitched a scoreless ninth inning with three strikeouts.Â
The UConn offense came alive late in the ballgame with Maddix Dalena hitting a home run in the eighth inning to break up the shutout.Â
In the ninth inning, trailing 9-1, pinch-hitter Matt Malcom cashed in an RBI double and freshman Tyler Minick followed with a two-run home run. His second-straight game with a long ball.
Dalena followed with a home run that was his second in as many innings and is the first multi-homer game of Dalena's career. The home run made it a 9-5 ballgame. Â
After a walk to Caleb Shpur and Bryan Padilla was hit by a pitch, the tying run was in the on deck circle for the Huskies but Jake Studley grounded out on the first pitch from Alex Vera to end the ballgame.Â
UConn looks to even the series up on Saturday with a 2:05 p.m. first pitch.Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HOSKINS, Luke (4-3)
L: Van Emon, Gabe (1-4)
S: VERA, Alex (3)
Batting:
3B: ANDERSON, Aedan 1
HR: STACK, Tyler 1
RBI: McCORMICK, Matt 1 ; CHRISTIANSEN, Hayden 1 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 2 ; CUSHING, Jared 2 ; STACK, Tyler 3
SF: CHRISTIANSEN, Hayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HAMMOND, Luke 1 ; MISCH, Connor 1 ; McCORMICK, Matt 1 ; DePREY, Matthew 2 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 2 ; CUSHING, Jared 1 ; STACK, Tyler 1
SB: STACK, Tyler 1
CS: CHRISTIANSEN, Hayden 1
Batting:
2B: Garbowski, Matt 1 ; Malcom, Matt 1
HR: Minick, Tyler 1 ; Dalena, Maddix 2
RBI: Malcom, Matt 1 ; Minick, Tyler 2 ; Dalena, Maddix 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Morton, Korey 1 ; Malcom, Matt 1 ; Minick, Tyler 1 ; Dalena, Maddix 2
HBP: Padilla, Bryan 1
