The UConn softball team had an array of games spanning from Saturday to Tuesday, starting with a Big East series against local rival Providence.
The series opened on Saturday with a doubleheader and wrapped up on Monday with a single afternoon game.
On Saturday, Payton Kinney started in the circle in game one against Providence at Burrill Family Field. She earned her 10th start of the season for the Huskies. Kinney pitched for 4.2 innings, giving up only one run on five hits with three strikeouts.
Providence opened the scoring and started the game with a 1-0 lead in the first inning. In the fourth inning, the Huskies were able to knot the game at one as freshman Rayah Snyder scored from third base on a pass ball. Hope Jenkins came on in relief for Kinney in the fifth inning and got the Huskies out of some trouble, stranding two runners in scoring position. H. Jenkins pitched one inning and gave up two runs on one hit.
In the sixth inning, Providence regained the lead, scoring two runs to make it 3-1. Graduate student Meghan O’Neil came in to replace H. Jenkins for relief in the sixth inning, making her 25th appearance of the year. She finished the game in the circle, only giving up one hit and adding four strikeouts. O’Neil picked up her fifth win of the season. Continuing in the sixth inning, junior Rosie Garcia cut the Friars’ lead with a solo home run to right field. It was her eighth home run of the season and put the Huskies back in the game.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Huskies loaded the bases for the top of the order. Garcia was hit by a pitch which scored senior Lauren Benson from third base and moved the rest of the runners up a base. Senior Jana Sanden worked out a walk to force in the game winning run, which scored sophomore Savannah Ring. The Huskies sealed the 4-3 win in the series opener against Providence in walk-off fashion.
The Huskies and the Friars went right back into it for their second game of the day. Senior Hallie Siems started in the circle for the Huskies, making her 16th start of the season. She went 6.0 innings, giving up two home runs on six hits and adding eight strikeouts.
Providence once again got going on offense first, gaining a 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Huskies had an immediate answer in the bottom half of the third inning off the bat of H. Jenkins. The sophomore pitcher singled to right field and scored her sister Grace Jenkins from third base, tying the game at one.
In the fifth inning, Providence recaptured the lead on a dropped third strike which allowed the run to score from third, making it 2-1 Friars.
O’Neil came in on relief for Siems in the seventh inning. She finished out the rest of the game for the Huskies, tossing 3.0 innings with one run on three hits and five strikeouts.
H. Jenkins came in clutch again for UConn in the bottom of the seventh inning. She launched her third hit of the game with a double to right center field, once again scoring her sister G. Jenkins from first base. The game was sent into extra innings.
In the top of the ninth inning, Providence notched the game-winning hit. UConn continued to fight in the bottom of the ninth and put the potential game-tying run at third base and the game-winning run at second. The Huskies never got the big hit, and Providence closed out the game with a 3-2 victory. Providence and UConn split the Saturday double header and fought for the series win on Monday afternoon.
Kinney made her 11th start of the season for the Huskies in the series finale. She was dominant, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while only giving up three hits with six strikeouts.
UConn got off to a hot start after G. Jenkins smoked her fourth home run of the year to left center. The Huskies gained a 2-0 lead in the first inning. UConn’s lead was extended by H. Jenkins in the third inning. The sophomore worked a grand 10 pitch at bat before she singled to center field. Junior Lexi Hastings scored from third base and G. Jenkins scored from second base. The Huskies led the Friars 4-0.
In the sixth inning, H. Jenkins came in on relief for Kinney. She pitched one scoreless inning with one strikeout. In the seventh inning, Providence added a lot of pressure on the Huskies, jumping on O’Neil in the circle. The graduate senior threw 33 pitches across just six batters. To trim the Huskies’ lead to 4-2, the Friars scored two runs. Kinney came back in the circle for O’Neil to secure the final two outs on just four pitches and strand the bases loaded. UConn was able to secure the 4-2 win over Providence and their third conference series win of the season. The Huskies improved their record in the Big East conference to 7-2.
UConn had a midweek matchup on Tuesday against non-conference opponent Boston College on the road in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Siems earned her 17th start of the season for the Huskies. The senior threw a gem, going 6.0 innings and giving up one earned run on just one hit with five strikeouts. However, this game was a pitchers’ duel as the Huskies notched their first hit of the game in the fourth inning. Both UConn and Boston College combined for only four hits on the day.
Siems was brilliant through the first five innings of the game and carried a no-hitter bid into the sixth inning. But in the sixth inning, Boston College scored the game’s only pair of runs with the first coming on a passed ball, allowing the winning run to score from third. Later in the inning, on a bunt single, the Eagles added insurance and extended their lead to 2-0.
The Huskies did not back down but could not get their bats going against the Eagles’ pitcher, Halie Pappion, as she was nothing but dominant in the circle for Boston College. UConn had no answer on offense and dropped the game to Boston College 4-2 on Tuesday afternoon. This game moved the Huskies’ record to 19-16 overall.
Up next for UConn, they will return to Big East play this weekend when they travel to Queens, New York to take on St. John’s in a three- game series. The series opener on the road will be on Friday, April 5 at 2:00 p.m. The game will be available to stream on FloSoftball.