The UConn softball team kicked off Big East conference play by winning two out of three games against Villanova over the weekend. After an uneven start to the season for the Huskies, the series win marked a strong beginning for the Big East slate as they improved to 13-8 overall.
In the first game against Villanova, which was played on Friday, March 7, graduate student Payton Kinney started for UConn in the circle. Kinney has been excellent for the Huskies, posting a 0.51 ERA in 27.2 innings before Friday’s game, but Villanova’s offense came out swinging early. In the second inning, Villanova’s Madison Ostrowski doubled to right center field, bringing in two runners for a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats extended their lead in the third inning against UConn’s Hope Jenkins, who came on in relief for Kinney and pitched a little over three innings with two earned runs and four strikeouts. Maranda Runco hit a solo shot to center field, making the score 3-0.
UConn answered with a home run from catcher Grace Jenkins in the top of the fourth inning off Villanova pitcher Kat Gallant, which put the Huskies on the board.
Villanova built their lead back up in the next few innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Runco doubled down the right field line, scoring Ostrowski. An inning later, Wagner doubled to left center to bring in two more runs, fully breaking the game open and putting the Wildcats up 6-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, UConn clawed a run back with a sacrifice fly from Kaiea Higa, cutting the lead to 6-2. However, that was the last time Gallant allowed a run, as UConn never got another opportunity to score. Villanova added on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to trigger a run-rule and close the game out 10-2.
The Huskies fared better in Saturday’s contest. Sydnee Koosh, a redshirt sophomore, started for the seventh time this season in the circle for UConn, going five and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts.
Neither offense got going until the fourth inning, when UConn’s Rosie Garcia homered to left center, opening up a 2-0 lead. Freshman infielder Cat Petteys also hit a home run soon after, extending the lead to 3-0. Kaitlyn Breslin capped the offensive explosion off with a back-to-back blast to left center, her fourth home run of the season, making it four runs scored in the inning.
Villanova threatened a comeback with three runs in two innings, cutting UConn’s lead to just one run by the sixth inning. But Connecticut put the game away with a two-run single to left center in the seventh inning by Higa, making the final score 6-3.
The final game, played on Sunday afternoon, was a close-fought affair that would decide the series. UConn opened the scoring in the top of the second, with Savannah Ring singling to drive in Petteys for a one-run lead. G. Jenkins added on two runs with a single to right field.
Villanova responded in the bottom of the second with a dominant inning, scoring seven runs. The Wildcats’ efforts began with a solo home run from Grace Reed and continued as they loaded up the bases. Ava Mahnken grounded out, recording an RBI in the process, and on a wild pitch another run came home. At this point, H. Jenkins came on in relief for Koosh, but she didn’t fare any better against the Villanova offense in the inning. With the bases loaded again, Ostrowski drove a pitch past the wall in left field for a grand slam, putting Villanova up 7-3.
UConn was down, but they were not out. Slowly, the Huskies made their way back into the game, starting with a single from Katie Breslin in the top of the third that drove in a run. Two innings later, Breslin singled again to make the score 7-5.
In the top of the sixth, G. Jenkins doubled to center field, bringing in two runs and tying the game at 7-7. Having brought the score level, UConn went further as H. Jenkins hit a double of her own, scoring her twin sister from second. Breslin had her third hit of the day in the inning to drive in another run, extending the Huskies lead to 9-7.
Villanova made it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth inning with a bases-loaded walk-off Kinney, who was UConn’s third and final pitcher of the day. However, the Huskies held on in the seventh inning to secure the close victory and the series win.
Next up, Connecticut will play a road series against Tennessee from March 14-16.