Published: March 23, 2007
QUEENS, N.Y.
In a game first relocated to Queens because of poor weather,
then delayed an hour and 41 minutes because of rain, Connecticut
(7-9, 1-0 BIG EAST) scored four runs in the sixth inning and went
on to beat St. John's (7-9, 0-1), 4-3, in both team's BIG EAST
Conference openers on Friday. The Huskies won their fourth straight
game and snapped the Red Storm's streak of five straight wins in
conference openers.
Chris Joachim and
Ryan Mahoney did most of the damage for the Red Storm,
combining for four of the team's six hits and driving in all three
runs. Joachim continued his emergence from an early season slump,
collecting two hits and two RBI for the second straight game.
Mahoney went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and
Gil Zayas singled and scored a run to extend his hit streak to
12 games.
Sophomore
Scott Barnes made one of his most effective starts of the
season, scattering eight hits and allowing two earned runs over six
innings. Barnes left with the Red Storm down 4-2 and fell to 1-2 on
the season. Freshman
Ryan Cole struck out two over 1.2 scoreless innings, and senior
Anthony Smith moved from his position as designated hitter to
the mound to record the final out of the eighth inning.
Joachim broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with a two-run
flare single into right field. Mahoney reached on a single and
scored from third on the play, and
Brian Kemp came around from second after reaching on a
fielder's choice.
Three straight hits got a four-run rally started for UConn in
the bottom of the sixth, as the Huskies took their first lead, 4-2.
Matt Untiet delivered an RBI double to deep left center to get
UConn on the board, and Erik Turgeon (RBI fielder's choice), Josh
Farkes (sacrifice fly) and Gordon Stevens (RBI groundout) collected
RBI in the inning.
The Red Storm cut into the lead in the top of the seventh on an
RBI single by Mahoney. The senior first baseman hit a 1-2 pitch
through the right side of the infield to score Zayas from second
base and make it a one-run game, 4-3.
Cole relieved Barnes in the Connecticut seventh and worked a
1-2-3 inning to give the Red Storm two shots to tie the game, but
reliever Ted Garry shut the offense down. The left-hander recorded
six straight outs and did not allow a baserunner to pick up his
first save of the season.
The series continues on Saturday at 1 p.m., with sophomore RHP
Jared Yecker (2-2, 1.88 ERA) scheduled to face UConn RHP Dusty
Odenbach (0-0, 4.00 ERA).
NOTES: The game was delayed for one hour and 41 minutes prior to
first pitch because of rain … because the series was relocated from
Storrs, Conn., to Jack Kaiser Stadium, UConn is considered the home
team and hits in the bottom half of each inning.