A disastrous first inning did the Huskies (10-12) in on Friday night against San Jose State, as their evening was over before it really even started. The Spartans’ eight first-inning runs were more than UConn scored the entire game, as the Huskies were mercy ruled by the Spartans in seven innings, 16-6.
Husky starter Charlie West took a beating over two innings of work. He was removed without recording an out in the third inning, in which the Spartans put up another six runs. In total, the left-hander surrendered 12 runs (seven earned) on three home runs and three doubles on 10 hits. The junior’s ERA ballooned from 4.97 to 6.91.
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Despite scoring just one run after the third inning, the Spartan offense was relentless in the early going.
After two of their first three batters reached base, Jake McCoy, who had walked it off earlier in the day in the team’s 3-2 extra innings win over San Diego State, slapped one over the left field fence. UConn outfielder Chase Taylor turned his back and waited for a ricochet off the wall that never came, as McCoy put three runs on the board.
Three out of the next four batters again reached, one on an error as the Huskies’ defense did the struggling West no favors. That round of runners culminated in a pair of RBI hits: a Neil Jansen double as part of a 3-for-3 game and an Alex Fernandes single up the middle. After an RBI base hit from Peyton Rowles, the Huskies were facing a seven-run deficit.
The Huskies made it a ball game again at the top of the second. Along with a Jackson Marshall RBI double from an inning earlier, UConn took advantage of RBI singles from Peyton Jemison and Tyler Minick, and a run-scoring groundout from Rob Rispoli to cut the Spartan lead to four.
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That wouldn’t last long. The first Spartan batter in the bottom of the frame, JC Osorio-Agard, sent a big fly of his own over the fence in left field. An inning later, a Fernandes home run to center field, just right of the batter’s eye, made it an 11-4 ballgame. Run scoring hits from Brent Cota (two runs), Alan Ramirez, and Jansen left the Spartans up by more than 10 runs.
With their grave officially dug, the Huskies tried to climb out just a bit in the sixth inning. After a Nater Wachter single and a double from Evan Menzel that advanced the runner to third, Chase Taylor swatted a sac fly to left to make it 15-5.
The Huskies nearly avoided the mercy rule in the seventh inning, as Chris Polemeni continued his hot season with a homer to left center to bring the deficit back into the single digits.
The Spartans were seemingly set on going home early after their long day at the office, however. For the second time of the day, San Jose St. walked it off, this time under slightly different circumstances. Dylan Jackson sent the final pitch of the game deep to left field and over the fence to end it at 16-6.
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The Huskies will look to get a little revenge tomorrow as they get another chance at San Jose State (9-12) later. For now, they’ll shift their focus to San Diego State (11-11), who they play today at 3 p.m. EST.
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