HookC Clinches Series at Georgetown, 5-4

TYSONS, Va. - The UConn baseball team (19-18, 6-2 BIG EAST) came back for the second-straight to clinch a series win at Georgetown (26-12, 8-3 BIG EAST), 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Park.

UConn jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with the help of three Georgetown errors. After an error by the Hoyas second baseman made it 1-0 Huskies, Bryan Padilla executed a perfect safety squeeze to grab the 2-0 advantage.

The Hoyas responded with a three-run second inning that featured four extra base hits against UConn starter Garrett Coe. But the veteran lefty settled down on the hill for the Huskies to keep them in the game.

Coe allowed just one hit after the second inning and finished with just one walk and nine strikeouts on the day.

The Huskies evened the score in the fourth on a solo shot off the bat of Padilla to make it 3-3. 

In the sixth, the Hoyas reclaimed the lead after a dropped fly ball in lefft field opened the inning with a runner at second. A sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly followed and gave Georgetown a 4-3 advantage. 

The Hoyas kept the lead until the eighth when they turned to their bullpen. For the second-straight day, the Huskies were able to capitalize and get to the Hoyas pen.

UConn loaded the bases with one out in the eighth after a hit by pitch to Shpur, walk to Paul Tammaro and walk to Matt Garbowski. Padilla followed with a clutch two-run single to give UConn the lead back at 5-4. 

For Padilla, it marked a season-high with four runs batted in on the day. 

In the eighth, Coe returned to the mound and got the first two outs of the frame against the dangerous left-handed bats of Christian Ficca and Owen Carapellotti. Joe Carrea entered out of the pen and on one pitch got a ground out to third to send the game to the ninth.

After the Huskies went scoreless in the top half of the inning, closer Brady Afthim entered the ballgame for the Huskies. The Windham, Maine native faced runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth but was able to retire Jake Hyde on a fly out to left to secure the series for the Huskies.

Next up, UConn tries to get its first sweep of the season with an 11:30 a.m. first pitch on Sunday at Capital One Park.

Game Notes

• UConn moves to 5-4 on the season in one-run ballgames.
• The Huskies have now hit a home run in a season-high nine consecutive games.
• UConn won its third game of the season and second of the weekend when trailing after seven innings.
• With his two hits and four runs batted in, Bryan Padilla now has 151 career hits and 99 career RBI
• Garrett Coe earned his 13th career win on Saturday it was his 65th career appearance which ranks tied for 12th in UConn program history.