On Wednesday night, the UConn baseball team (27-18, 11-4 Big East) routed Northeast rival Rhode Island 16-6.
The Rams got on the board first with a grand slam in the opening frame. However, that would be all the offense Rhode Island would get until the seventh inning.
In the bottom of the first inning, sophomore Tyler Minick hit a two-run home run to left center field with two outs, cutting the Huskies’ deficit in half. It was the Reading, Pa. native’s 16th homer of the season (most in the Big East) and his fourth in the last five games.
In the bottom of the third inning, junior Ryan Daniels got Connecticut within a run by hitting an RBI single to right field, driving in graduate student Caleb Shpur. Daniels had been named the Big East Player of the Week after going 10-21 at the plate last week with 11 runs batted in, 10 runs scored, three doubles and four home runs. The Meriden, Conn. native also walked five times and stole four bases last week.
Later in the inning, graduate student Sam Biller hit a solo home run to right field, his eighth of the season, to tie the game up at four runs.
The bottom of the fourth inning broke the 4-4 tie for UConn. With the bases loaded, Rhode Island walked Daniels to give the Huskies a 5-4 lead and reload the bases.
Minick took advantage of the scenario by hitting a single down the third base line that drove in graduate student Bryan Padilla.
The prolific fourth inning did not end there, as Biller advanced to third base on a throwing error that allowed Minick to cross home plate. That play wrapped up a five-run inning for UConn.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Daniels walked with the bases loaded, giving the Huskies a 6-4 lead. Daniels, who now has 46 RBIs this season, was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice that allowed Padilla to cross home plate, with Minick reaching first base.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Huskies tallied on two more runs. Redshirt freshman Rob Rispoli hit a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed junior Grant MacArthur to score.
Later in the inning, Padilla scored an unearned run on a passed ball to give the Huskies a 13-4 lead.
Rhode Island looked for a late surge in the top of the first inning with a single through the right side that allowed two runs to score to cut Connecticut’s lead to 13-6. The Rams only had two scoring plays in the seven innings played.
Rhode Island junior Jack Hopko came into the game tied for the national lead in RBIs with 69 runs batted in. UConn held him to zero during his midweek stop at Elliot Ballpark.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, freshman Connor Lane hit a three-run home run to left field that gave the Huskies a mercy rule victory, as they had now led by 10 runs in the seventh inning. The Old Saybrook, Conn. native has now hit five home runs in his young career in Storrs, Conn.
Right-handed pitcher Ian Cooke looked like the pitcher who won Big East Pitcher of the Year during the 2024 season. In 4.2 innings, in relief for right-handed pitcher Jude Abbadessa, the New Milford, Conn. native struck out eight batters and only allowed the two-run single in the seventh inning. Eight strikeouts matched his season high, which came on April 17 in a win over Seton Hall.
Cooke’s season has not gone according to plan. After going 5-2 in 2024, he began the season 1-4 and is now 2-4 after Wednesday night.
Revenge felt sweet for the Huskies, who lost to Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. on March 19, 2024. UConn has not dropped a home game against the Rams since a 6-4 loss on March 27, 2021. Overall, they are 45-12-2 at home against Rhode Island and 123-69-5 overall.
UConn, now with nine wins in their last 10 games, will now take the trip on the Main Line to Villanova, where they will play the Wildcats in a crucial three-game series this weekend.