The UConn softball team hosted Boston College at home for an out-of-conference game on Tuesday. The Huskies fell to the Eagles with a final score of 10-5.
The program came off an impressive 3-0 win in a three-game series against Georgetown. The last game of the series ended in a 12-3 win for the Huskies. In this matchup versus the Hoyas, Connecticut quickly pulled ahead obtaining the victory in five innings. The first game was a close 2-1 victory for the Huskies. Sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Breslin secured the win in the sixth inning with her 15th home run of the season. The second game was another five-inning victory ending in 12-4.
UConn came out strong early with eight hits in the first four innings. Junior catcher Grace Jenkins came out dominant at the plate with 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. This is G. Jenkins 17th homer of the year. Freshman infielder Cat Petteys and senior infielder Rosie Garcia also chipped in early on with two hits each, starting UConn off with a strong offense. However, the team struggled early to bring in runs, leaving opportunities on the base, allowing Boston College to pull away with a five-run lead in the first half.
The Huskies struggled defensively early on, committing three errors, which aided in Boston College pulling ahead. Junior pitcher Hope Jenkins battled through four innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits, including two home runs. Graduate pitcher then took over, allowing one hit and another pair of unearned runs.
Boston College did not dominate at the plate in the first half with only six hits. However, key players led to the team’s early lead. Sophomore Emma Jackson and senior Zoe Hines each launched home runs to drive in two runs each. Senior Makenna Segal and senior Kali Case were also key contributors early on each adding RBIs. The team succeeded in drawing walks and forcing UConn’s defense to make plays early on. Sophomore pitcher Kelly Colleran has also been a formidable player for the Eagles.
UConn began to mount a comeback, sparked by Breslin’s home run in the fifth inning. This is her 16th home run of the season. G. Jenkins continued the momentum adding her second home run of the game. The Huskies continued getting hits but were unable to overpower the Eagles due to a pair of costly defensive errors.
In the sixth and seventh innings Boston College’s Hines and junior Janis Espinoza delivered clutch hits to extend their lead. Kinney was not able to overcome the Eagles, giving up four runs in three innings.
Despite UConn’s consistent contact and late-inning homers, the margin proved too wide to overcome. Boston College’s explosive scoring and power hitting allowed them to secure a 10-5 victory.
The Huskies will look to regroup in preparation for their next in-conference matchup against St. John’s. They will play a three-game series against the Thunderbirds, starting on Friday, May 2, to wrap up their regular season. The game on Friday will start at 7 p.m., followed by a game on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m. They will close off the series and regular season with a game on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. Husky fans can tune into these matchups on FloSports.