The Connecticut Huskies ended up on the wrong end of each of their four games this past weekend on their visit to Clemson, South Carolina. This weekend’s invitational, the Clemson Classic, featured the Huskies alongside Ole Miss and Miami (Ohio), hosted by No. 9 Clemson. Entering the weekend at 4-7, the Huskies hoped to change their fortunes but just could not right the ship.
UConn 1 Ole Miss 2
UConn started the weekend against the Ole Miss Rebels in what became a pitching duel. Hallie Siems, a transfer from Memphis, started for Connecticut, while Aynslie Furbush started for the Rebels. Ole Miss came into the matchup hot, riding a nine-game winning streak before clashing with the Huskies, and it was UConn that struck first. After a pitch hit Rosie Garcia in the fourth, Hope Jenkins scored with a double, driving in Garcia and tallying the game’s first hit for the Huskies. However, Ole Miss responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning off back-to-back hits by catcher Jamie Mackay and Furbush, giving the Rebels the lead. Siems pitched 3.2 innings, picking up the loss while allowing two earned runs. Meghan O’Neil finished off the final 2.1 innings while allowing just one hit.
Miami 6 UConn 3
Game two had UConn play yet another team on a long winning streak, with the Huskies playing the Miami RedHawks. Miami came in on a seven-game winning streak, scoring double digits in six games. While UConn’s Payton Kinney got out their first two batters, the RedHawks’ third baseman, Karli Spaid, smacked a solo home run to bring Miami in front early. Miami padded their lead a few innings later with a Chloe Parks single that brought in two, giving the RedHawks a 3-0 advantage over the Huskies. UConn’s Taylor Zatyk put the Huskies on the board with an RBI single in the fourth to break into the deficit, but a Jenna Golembiewski homer gave Miami that run back in the fifth. Connecticut battled back to bring the game within one off Jana Sanden’s fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot, but the RedHawks added two runs of their own off singles from Chole Parks and Hadley Parisien to take the 6-3 lead. Madilyn Reeves made the start for Miami, notching her second win of the year with 5.0 innings and just three earned runs. Kinney gets the loss for the Huskies, throwing four runs and giving up three as well.
UConn 2 Clemson (No. 9) 3
Game three had the Huskies take on their first-ranked opponent of the year, the Clemson Tigers, on their home field. Both teams held each other scoreless until Maddie Moore of Clemson singled to start the bottom of the fourth. She proceeded to steal second and advance to third on a wild pitch, getting in scoring position for Alia Logoleo. The shortstop drove her in with a single to bring the Tigers out in front 1-0. UConn was forced yet again into a situation where they needed to respond and did just that, jumping out in front of Clemson in the sixth. Connecticut’s lead came off the bat of Jana Sanden, who roped a two-run double to right center field, bringing in Lexi Hastings and Savannah Ring for her fourth RBIs of the weekend. In the bottom of the seventh, Clemson was down to their final two outs of the game but had a runner in scoring position. McKenzie Clark worked a full-count walk against Meghan O’Neil to load the bases for Valerie Cagle. Cagle flew a ball to Kaitlyn Kibling in center field, deep enough to drive across the run and tie the game. O’Neil forced a groundout to be third to end the inning, sending the game to extras, where Clemson eventually walked off the game on a two-out eighth-inning single from defensive replacement Lindsey Garcia.
Miami 7 UConn 6
UConn’s final game came with a ton of fireworks, facing off with the RedHawks one last time. Miami jumped out to an early lead, backed by Karli Spaid, whose two-run homer and RBI double gave them a 3-0 lead at the end of the second. Sami Bedwick added to the offensive onslaught with another homer for Miami, increasing their lead to four in the third. UConn’s Hope Jenkins cut the lead in half with a two-run blast, her second of the year, to bring the Huskies within two, but the RedHawks were relentless. Catcher Allie Cummins hit the third home run of the afternoon off Hallie Siems to increase Miami’s lead to 5-2. Now down three in the fifth, UConn’s offense was finally woken up thanks to the Jenkins sisters. With Hastings and Ring on first and second, Grace Jenkins smoked the ball to deep center field to bring in the two runners. Hope Jenkins ended up bringing in her sister with an RBI groundout, tying the game at 5-5. In the sixth, Grace would give the Huskies the lead off an RBI single, scoring Haley Coupal. But once again, UConn lost in heartbreaking fashion. Miami’s Kate Kobayashi secured the RedHawks’ fourth home run of the game in the sixth, while Holly Blaska delivered the final blow in the seventh. After the first two batters of the inning got on base, Blaska singled to drive in the winning run, UConn’s second straight game being walked off.
With four losses, UConn’s record now sits at 4-11. The team gets some time off before heading to Honolulu, Hawaii to play in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. There, they’re set to play Cleveland State, New Mexico and Hawaii, but that won’t start until March 7.