PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The UConn softball team split their doubleheader with the Providence Friars on Friday afternoon at Glay Field. Providence took game one, 4-1. UConn bounced back in game two, beating the Friars, 17-6. UConn moves to 10-4 in BIG EAST play and 23-14 overall this season. 

Game One

Graduate student Payton Kinney made her 15^th start of the season in the circle for the Huskies. Kinney went the distance, going 6.0 innings giving up just one earned run on six hits, adding five strikeouts. 

UConn jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Lexi Hastings sparked immediate offense, leading off the game with a triple down the left field line, putting the senior in scoring position.Hastings later scored on a dropped third strike, putting the Huskies in front.  

Providence tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning on a single to center field. 

Providence broke the deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three runs, putting the game out of reach for the Huskies, 4-1.

News and Notes

• UConn was held to just a run for the first time since March 14 (Tennessee, 1-9).
• This is UConn's seventh loss when they have scored the game's first run. 
• Kaiea Higa had her 12 game hitting streak snapped. 
• Payton Kinney moves to 6-3 this season. 

Game Two

Junior Hope Jenkins made her 8^th start of the season in game two for the Huskies. Jenkins went 6.1 innings with zero earned runs given up, posting five strikeouts to her impressive outing in the circle.

UConn jumped out to an early lead off the bat of the starting pitcher, Hope Jenkins, as she delivered a two-out single to center field, scoring Grace Jenkins from second base. 

UConn extended their lead to 4-0 in the second inning, as the Huskies plated three runs on three hits. The bottom half of the UConn batting order loaded the bases for the top of the lineup to do damage. Lexi Hastings worked a bases loaded walk, forcing Haley Coupal to score from third base. A batter later, senior infielder Rosie Garcia scored Savannah Ring on a sac fly to the warning track in center field. Sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Breslin followed Garcia with a single to left center, scoring Hastings from third base.  

UConn tacked onto their lead in the third inning with a perfectly executed squeeze bunt play from junior infielder Savannah Ring, scoring Cat Petteys from third base, giving the Huskies a 5-0 lead. 

UConn continued to add to their lead in the fourth inning as Garcia hit her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, making it 6-0. The homer marks the Huskies 46^th long ball of the season, breaking the program record for home runs in a single season (45 in 2012).

The UConn offense put up a five spot in the fifth inning, on six hits, sending ten batters to the plate. Ring got it started with a two-run home run to left field, her second of the year. Just a batter later, Grace Jenkins hit the Huskies second two-run homer of the inning with a shot to left center, giving Jenkins 12 home runs this season. The two RBI gives Jenkins 48 runs batted in this season, breaking the single season program record (Karin Muller, 47 in 1996). Freshman infielder Cat Petteys capped off the big inning with a double to right field, scoring pinch runner Rayah Snyder from third base. 

Freshman Stella Kiemele made her 12^th appearance of the season in the circle. Kiemele went just 0.2 inning giving up two earned runs on zero hits, with four walks. 

Providence battled back in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring five runs to trim into the UConn lead, 11-5.

Hope Jenkins re-entered the circle in the fifth inning and went on to finish out the game in the circle, limiting the Friars offense to just the one big inning. 

The UConn offense kept their foot on the gas in the sixth inning, recording another run on a sac fly from Hastings, scoring Kaitlyn Kibling from third base, making it 12-5.

Providence added a run in the sixth to make it a six run differential once again, 12-6. 

UConn put the game out of reach for Providence in the seventh inning with another five spot, as the Huskies continued to utilize the long ball, pushing the lead to 17-6. Hope Jenkins got it started with a solo home run to right field, her fifth of the season. Later in the inning, the Huskies loaded the bases for Hastings who delivered her second career grand slam, her fifth homer of the season. 

News and Notes

• Grace Jenkins broke the all-time program record for RBI in a single season, reaching 48 in her junior campaign. The previous record was held for nearly 30 years by Karin Muller (47 in 1996). 
• Lexi Hastings drove in six RBI, just one short of her career game high (7 vs. UMASS, 4/6/22). This is her sixth multi-RBI game this season, and her team leading 14^th multi-hit game. 
• UConn as a team surpassed the program record for home runs in a single season with the solo shot by Garcia in the fourth inning. The record was previously set by the 2012 UConn Huskies with 45 in that season. UConn still has 13 regular season games left in their schedule to add to that number. 
• UConn tied their season game high for hits in a game with 18 (Creighton, 3/28).
• Kaitlyn Breslin recorded her fourth three-hit game this season, giving her 11 multi-hit games in her sophomore campaign. 
• Savannah Ring recorded her sixth multi-RBI game and fourth multi-hit game this season. 
• Hope Jenkins reached base safely in all five of her plate appearances. 
• Rosie Garcia recorded her 11^th multi-hit and 7^th multi-RBI games this season. 
• Cat Petteys recorded her 11^th multi-hit game of the season. 
• Haley Coupal tallied her fifth multi-hit game this season. 
• Kaitlyn Kibling worked three walks, tying a team high this season. 

Up Next

UConn closes out the weekend series with Providence on Sunday, April 13. First pitch is set for 3:00pm and will be streamed on FloSports. 

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