KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The UConn softball team dropped the first two games of the weekend series at No. 7 Tennessee on Friday evening at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. UConn fell in game one, 9-1 in five innings. The Huskies battled in game two, but came up short in extras, 4-3 in ten innings.
Game One
Redshirt-sophomore Sydnee Koosh made her ninth start of the season in the circle for the Huskies in game one. Koosh went 2.1 innings giving up four runs on four hits.
Tennessee opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on a sac fly. UConn center fielder Kaitlyn Kibling made a great catch, robbing an extra base hit and doubled up the runner at second base, limiting Volunteers to only one run in the inning.
Senior outfielder Lexi Hastings tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning, hitting her second home run of the season, a solo shot to right center.
Tennessee regained the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring four runs, giving the Volunteers a 5-1 lead.
Graduate student Payton Kinney came on in relief for Koosh in the middle of the third inning, making her 12th appearance of the season. Kinney went just 1.0 inning giving up two runs on three hits adding two strikeouts.
Tennessee extended the deficit in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to make it 8-1.
Freshman Stella Kiemele came on in relief for Kinney in the middle of the fourth inning. Kiemele went 1.0 inning giving up two runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Tennessee made it 9-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning ending the game in a run-rule.
News and Notes
- UConn turned a game high two double plays.
- Payton Kinney gave up her first home run of the season (31.2 innings pitched).
- UConn suffers their second run-rule defeat this season.
Game Two
Junior Hope Jenkins made her sixth start of the season in game two for the Huskies. Jenkins went 7.0 innings giving up three runs on ten hits with two strikeouts.
Lexi Hastings gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, hitting her second home run of the day with a shot to left center, giving Hastings three homers this season.
Tennessee tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Jenkins was able to limit the damage in the inning, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position.
UConn regained the lead in the top of the fifth once again off the bat of Hastings. The Huskies captain drove in her third run of the day on a sac fly to center field, scoring pinch runner Rayah Snyder from third base, giving the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
Tennessee once again tied the game in the bottom half of the fifth off a solo home run, making it 2-2.
UConn took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning off the bat of Kaitlyn Kibling. The junior outfielder reached on an error by the Volunteers first baseman, allowing Cat Petteys to score from third base.
Tennessee forced the game into extra innings, tying the game once more, 3-3.
Sydnee Koosh came on in relief for Jenkins in the middle of the eighth inning. Koosh closed out the game in the circle for the Huskies going 2.0 innings giving up one run on three hits.
Tennessee won the game in the bottom of the tenth inning on a walk-off single, securing the series win for the Volunteers.
News and Notes
- Lexi Hastings homered in back to back games for the third time in her career. She extended her hitting streak to five straight games and recorded her third multi-RBI game this season.
- Hope Jenkins and Sydnee Koosh combined to strand ten runners on base.
- Hope Jenkins threw 114 pitches, her third most in a game this season (115 vs. Alabama State, 170 vs. Ohio).
- UConn was held to a game low three hits.
- UConn turned a game high two double plays.
- UConn had a season high 27 putouts and 11 assists.
Up Next
UConn will close out the weekend series with No. 7 Tennessee on Sunday, March 16. First pitch is set for 12:00pm and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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