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Connecticut wins pair against UD baseball team

UD freshman Dan Kozek singled home a run in Sunday’s loss to Connecticut.

10:12 a.m., March 22, 2004--The University of Connecticut ended the University of Delaware baseball team’s 13-game winning streak by sweeping a two-game weekend series 11-9 on Saturday and 13-10 on Sunday at Bob Hannah Stadium.

The Fightin’ Blue Hens (13-6) will return to action with a home game against the University of Maryland Baltimore County at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 23.

UD will then begin Colonial Athletic Association play with a three-game series at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., March 26-28.

In Saturday’s game, UConn’s Ted Garry struck out Hen pinch-hitter Ed McDonnell to end a ninth-inning rally and help the Huskies to an 11-9 victory.

The game was a wild affair from the outset with runs scored in eight of the nine innings and the teams combining for 13 extra-base hits.

UD extended an early lead to 4-1 in the third on a two-run single by Kelly Buber. However, Connecticut used two-run home runs by Mike Leonard and Mike McDonough to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth.

The Hens tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth on an RBI single by Dave Harden.

Connecticut took the lead in the top of the fifth when Russ D'Argento and Tony Mallozzi opened the inning with back-to-back doubles but UD reclaimed the lead 7-6 in the bottom half of the inning when Brian Valichka hit a line drive two-run home run that just cleared the left field wall.

Connecticut took the lead for good in the sixth when it scored three runs and chased UD starting pitcher Scott Rambo. The Hens closed to within two in the ninth when Bryan Hagerich hit a towering two-run home run just inside the left field foul pole. However, after Valichka singled with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate, Garry came on to get McDonnell out and earn his first save.

Connecticut had 17 hits in its 13-10 win over UD on Sunday afternoon.

The Huskies led 4-1 going into the bottom of the third when the Hens exploded for five runs to take a 6-4 lead. Freshman Dan Kozek singled home Steve Van Note and Harden, then Valichka hit a sacrifice fly to score Hagerich. Brent Rogers singled home Kozek for the fifth run of the inning.

The Huskies struck back with two runs in the top of the fourth and fifth and five runs in the top of the sixth to build a 13-7 lead.

The Hens scored two in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to 13-9 on a double by Valichka that scored Hagerich and a single by Ryan Graham that scored Valichka. Van Note added his fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth to make it 13-10.

Junior Chris Garrick started and pitched three innings for the Hens, allowing six hits and six runs while striking out three. Freshman Billy Harris suffered the loss for UD, allowing two runs and four hits in two innings of work.

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