PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA. – The UConn baseball team (30-18, 14-4 BIG EAST) scored three runs in the top of the ninth to secure a series sweep, 7-5, at Villanova (20-24, 4-11 BIG EAST) on a rainy Sunday morning at Villanova Ballpark.
Trailing 5-4 entering the top of the ninth, lead off batter Rob Rispoli worked a 3-2 count and lined a base hit into right center. Rispoli hustled into second ahead of the throw for a lead off double.
Caleb Shpur then collected his 11th hit of the weekend, a swinging bunt single, to place runners at the corners with no outs. With Ryan Daniels at the plate, Shpur stole his 36th base of the season to place runners at second and third.
One pitch later, a wild pitch plate Rispoli and moved the go-ahead run to third base. Daniels then lifted a long fly ball to deep right. The Villanova RF made a leaping grab to rob Daniels of his fourth home run of the weekend but Shpur was able to tag from third to give UConn the lead back, 6-5.
After a Tyler Minick walk, Sam Biller delivered an RBI double to the left centerfield gap to push the lead to 7-5. It was the 13th RBI of the weekend for Biller and his second of the day.
Brady Afthim earned the victory by working around trouble in the ninth, stranding runners at first and second with a foul out to first base.
The Wildcats took the lead in the bottom of the eighth after a brief rain delay in the frame. The teams met with the umpire crew and it was determined they could finish the game in the rain. Michael Whooley delivered the RBI single to make it 5-4 Wildcats.
Shpur, Biller and Beau Root all registered multi-hit games in the victory.
LHP Charlie West pitched 4.2 innings and struck out six in his start.
The Huskies have won 17 of their last 18 games and will be off this week due to final exams. UConn will close BIG EAST play next week with a three-game series against the Butler Bulldogs at Elliot Ballpark. First pitch of game one will be 6:05 p.m. on Friday, May 9.
Game Notes
- The Huskies won their 30th game of the season on Sunday. UConn has won 30 games or more in 18 of the 21 full seasons under head coach Jim Penders. It is the 10th-straight season the Huskies have won 30 games or more.
- UConn has won 12-straight BIG EAST contests.
- The Huskies finish 17-13 in true road games in the regular season.
- Sunday's game marked the end of 14-straight games with a home run for the Huskies and also ended a nine-game stretch of double digit runs scored.
- Sunday was the second time this season that the Huskies won a game when trailing after eight innings.
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