ELON, N.C. – The UConn softball team split their first two games of the 2025 season on Friday at the Elon Softball Classic. The Huskies move to 1-1 to kick off the season. 

Game One

Game one of the day was a slugfest, as both teams combined for 32 runs. UConn scored 14 runs, their most in a game since April 6, 2022 (15-0 vs. UMASS).

Hope Jenkins (Folsom, Calif.) started in the circle in game one of 2025 for the Huskies. She went 7.1 innings, giving up 11 earned runs on 13 hits, recording 8 strikeouts.

Ohio came out swinging, scoring multiple runs in each of the first four innings. The Bobcats opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, hitting a three-run home run, giving the Bobcats an early 3-0 lead. 

UConn hit right back in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs of their own. Hope Jenkins drove in the Huskies first run of the season on a bases loaded sac fly to right field, scoring Grace Jenkins (Folsom, Calif.). Haley Coupal (North Attleboro, Mass.) followed Jenkins with a double to left center, scoring Rosie Garcia (San Fernando, Calif.) and Kaiea Higa (Maple Valley, Wash.), knotting the game at three. 

Ohio responded with three runs in the top of the second, putting the Bobcats ahead 6-3. 

Freshman pitcher Stella Kiemele (St. Anthony, Minn.)  came on in relief for Jenkins in the third inning, making her collegiate debut in the circle for the Huskies. She only went 0.2 inning, giving up four runs on three hits.

Ohio scored four runs in the third inning to break the game open, making it 10-3. 

Hope Jenkins returned to pitch for the Huskies in the third inning and went on to finish out the game in the circle. 

Ohio plated two more runs in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 12-3.

The Huskies offense chipped away at the Bobcats lead in the fourth inning, loading the bases for the middle of the UConn order. Garcia started it off by reaching on an infield single, scoring Caylee De Meo (Franklin Square, N.Y.). Higa was hit by pitch, forcing Lexi Hastings (Lynchburg, Va.) home from third base. Coupal once again delivered for the Huskies with a single up the middle, bringing home Grace Jenkins and Garcia, making it 12-7. 

De Meo kick started a big fifth inning for the Huskies, delivering UConn's first home run of 2025. The solo shot was the second career home run for the sophomore infielder. The Huskies lineup exploded for four more runs in the inning, tying the game up at 12-12. Garcia nearly tied the game with a grand slam, as the ball hit the top of the left center field fence, bringing home Kaitlyn Kibling (LaFayette, N.Y.) and Hastings. Higa tied the game with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Grace Jenkins and Garcia. 

UConn took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning off the bat of Grace Jenkins. The sophomore catcher hit a two run shot to left field, her first of the season, putting the Huskies in front, 14-13. 

Ohio tied the game in the top of the seventh with a solo homer, once again knotting the game at 14-14 and sending the game to extra innings. 

In the top of the eighth, Ohio scored four runs, putting the game out of reach for the Huskies. 

News and Notes

• Junior utility Haley Coupal knocked in a career game high four RBI. 
• Senior outfielder Lexi Hastings stole her 100th base in her career. Hastings is all-time program leader in stolen bases.
• UConn trailed by as many as nine and came back to score nine unanswered runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
• Senior infielder Rosie Garcia and Junior infielder Kaiea Higa each drove in three runs.
• UConn's offense loaded the bases four times in the first, third, fourth, and fifth innings. 
• Sophomore infielder Caylee De Meo hit the Huskies first home run of the season, a solo shot, the second long ball of her career. 
• Freshman pitcher Stella Kiemele made her collegiate debut in the circle for the Huskies. 
• The game lasted three hours and thirty minutes. 

Game Two

Redshirt-sophomore Sydnee Koosh (Canton, Ohio) earned her first start of the season in game two for the Huskies. She was stellar going 6.0 innings giving up two runs on four hits, adding three strikeouts. Koosh picks up her first collegiate win for the Huskies. 

UConn opened the scoring in the top of the first as Garcia picked up right where she left off in game one, doubling off the left field wall, scoring Grace Jenkins from second base, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

Grace Jenkins extended the Huskies lead in the third inning with a solo home run, her second of the season. 

The Huskies added to the lead in the fourth inning, loading the bases for the top of the Huskies order. Hastings worked a bases loaded walk, scoring Coupal. 

Elon got on the board in the fifth inning on a two-run home run, making it a one run game, 3-2. 

UConn's offense responded right away, scoring four runs in the sixth inning, giving the Huskies breathing room, 7-2. UConn once again loaded the bases for the top of the order. Grace Jenkins once again came through with an RBI single, scoring Cat Petteys (Vestal N.Y). Garcia followed Jenkins with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kibling. Higa punched a single to right center, scoring Hastings from third base. Hope Jenkins capped off the inning with an RBI single to left field, scoring twin sister, Grace from third base. 

UConn added another insurance run in the seventh inning as Kaitlyn Breslin (Hopkinton, Mass.) made a heads up baserunning play, scoring from third base on a ground out, making it 8-2. 

Freshman pitcher Amber Bretton (Gorham, Maine) came on in relief for Koosh in the seventh inning to close out the win. In her collegiate debut in the circle, Bretton tossed a scoreless inning, giving up two hits, and recording a strikeout. 

News and Notes

• Freshman infielder Cat Petteys earned her first collegiate start at shortstop. She recorded her first career hit in her first at bat in the second inning. Petteys went 3-4, tallying three hits in her debut. 
• Three Huskies recorded multi-RBI games in Hastings, Garcia, and Grace Jenkins.
• Grace Jenkins recorded her seventh three hit game of her career. 
• Huskies bounced back with a clean game after committing three errors in game one.  

Up Next

UConn returns to action on Saturday, February 8 as the Huskies matchup with the UNC Greensboro Spartans at the Elon Softball Classic. First pitch is set for 12:00pm.