UConn softball came away 3-1 after their first four games. (File photo/The Daily Campus)
UConn softball kicked off their season last weekend by winning three of four games in the Florida International Softball Tournament. The Huskies defeated Bryant University twice and Michigan State University once, dropping the final game of the tournament against Florida International University.
The bulk of UConn’s (3-1) offense came from their stacked infield. Kiwi McDaniel, Cari Cutler and Briana Marcelino combined to go 15 for 38 (.395) with seven runs, eight RBIs and one walk each.
UConn won the first game against Bryant 11-0. Katie Koshes pitched a five-inning shutout by striking out eight. Though she gave up five hits and four walks, Koshes still didn’t allow a baserunner to score. McDaniel, Cutler and Marcelino had two hits apiece, combining for five runs and five RBIs.
In game two against Michigan State, UConn held a 2-0 lead going into the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, MSU left fielder Ebonee Echols hit a two run home run that tied the game at 2-2.
In the top of the seventh with two outs, Kelli Bates reached on a botched ground ball by MSU’s third baseman Kaitlyn Eveland. Cutler then singled and advanced to second on an errant throw that allowed Bates to score the go-ahead run.
Jill Stockley, who started the game, came back out for the final inning, striking one out and getting two others to pop-out. UConn came away with the 3-2 win.
Stockley pitched all seven innings, allowing just the two runs in the sixth. Only three MSU batters managed to get a hit off of Stockley. Cutler went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
In the third game against Bryant, sophomore pitcher Marybeth Olson threw seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out 11 batters without walking any.
Thanks to Olson’s efforts, UConn just had to put three runs on the board to secure the win. Marcelino had two hits, and Chloe Kerns went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs.
After starting the tournament with three straight wins, UConn dropped the fourth game 7-0 to Florida International University. FIU Senior Megan Kugelmann pitched a three-hit shutout, striking out two and walking none. Marcelino, Bates and McDaniel had the three UConn hits.
Stockley was pulled after giving up three runs in the first two innings. Koshes pitched 3.2 innings in relief and surrendered four runs on just as many hits.
The Huskies have another tournament coming up next weekend. The South Carolina Upstate Softball Tournament will go from Friday through Sunday, with UConn’s first game coming against Boston University at 11 a.m. BU started their season 2-3 after playing the five-game Kickin’ Chicken Classic.
Sean Janos is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached at sean.janos@uconn.edu.
