Caguas, Puerto Rico – The UConn baseball team rallied back from a five-run deficit but ultimately lost its Opening Day contest against Stetson, 10-6, on Friday afternoon in the Puerto Rico Challenge.
The Hatters plated the first five runs of the game against UConn starting pitcher Gabe Van Emon but left hander Oliver Pudvar settled things down with a superb UConn debut. The Manhattan transfer tossed 3.1 shutout frames and did not allow a hit.
Trailing 5-0 entering the fifth, the UConn offense was opportunistic drawing a pair of walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out. Caleb Shpur followed with a bases loaded walk to get UConn on the scoreboard.
After a pitching change, back-to-back wild pitches to Sam Biller scored two more runs to draw the Huskies to within two runs, 5-3. Grant MacArthur, as part of his three-hit debut, made it a one-run game with an RBI single.
UConn captain Bryan Padilla tied the game in the fifth with a two-out RBI single and Ryan Daniels capped the inning with an RBI single to give UConn its first lead of the season. The Huskies sent 11 batters to the plate en route to the six-run frame.
The score remained that way with the help of outfielder Caleb Shpur making a fantastic leaping grab against the center field fence in the fifth inning. Without Shpur's effort, the play results in extra bases and the tying run scoring from first.
Stetson regained the lead in the seventh after three walks and a hit by pitch by freshman Cayden Suchy and a two-run single against Greg Shaw III that made it 8-6 in Stetson's favor.
Stetson added a pair of runs in the eighth to cap the scoring at 10-6.
UConn is back in action on Saturday, February 15 at 5 p.m. AST // 4 p.m. ET at Sola Morales Stadium against the Missouri Tigers.
Game Notes
- Most runs scored in an Opening Day game since 2013.
- Grant MacArthur, Sam Biller and Aidan Dougherty all recorded their first career hits as Huskies.
- Rob Rispoli, Cayden Suchy, Oliver Pudvar, Greg Shaw III join MacArthur, Biller and Dougherty in making UConn debuts on Friday.
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