No. 25 UConn sweeps doubleheader from Southeastern to win weekend series

HAMMOND, La. – No. 25-ranked UConn upended Southeastern Louisiana in both games of a doubleheader Saturday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field, 7-6 in the opener and 6-4 in the nightcap.

UConn (4-2) jumped out early in both games, holding off the Lions’ (5-3) comeback attempts.

The Huskies built a 5-2 lead in the opening game before Southeastern charged back to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh. A two-run home run by Isaac Feldstein in the top of the ninth powered UConn to the win.

In the nightcap the Huskies led 3-0 and 5-2, but both times Southeastern pulled back within a run. An RBI triple by Anthony Prato in the top of the ninth added an insurance run.

Southeastern, who defeated the Huskies 5-2 in the series opener, wraps up its nine-game homestand Wednesday against No. 15-ranked LSU in a sold-out contest at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

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GAME ONE – UConn 7, Southeastern 6
A wild first inning led to three unearned runs, a pair of those staked UConn to an early 2-1 lead.

Two more runs in the second inning off Corey Gaconi expanded UConn’s lead, but the Lions continued to scratch out runs.

Drew Avans drew a leadoff walk in the second, and after designated hitter Preston Faulkner singled up the middle, the pair executed a double steal with Avans scoring from third.

The Huskies grabbed the run right back in the third, but again Southeastern pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning. Taylor Schwaner scored on a single to center field off the bat of Mike Taylor.

Despite his early struggles, Gaconi was the first pitcher to turn in a scoreless frame. He held the Huskies off the board in the fourth and again in the fifth.

Meanwhile with another run in the fourth, the Lions were able to knock UConn starting pitcher Mason Feole out of the game before he recorded an out in the fifth inning.

Southeastern tied up the game, 5-5, on Faulkner’s RBI single up the middle in the fifth and took its first lead of the game in the seventh on Faulkner’s second RBI single of the game.

Reliever Trey Shaffer shut down the Huskies over the sixth, seventh and eighth before yielding to closer Evan Hileman (0-2).

After striking out the first batter he faced in the ninth, Hileman surrendered a double to catcher Zac Susi and then Feldstein’s home run.

CJ Dandeneau (1-0) earned the win in relief, working 1.2 scoreless. P.J. Poulin picked up his first save of the day with a perfect ninth. Hileman was charged with the loss.

Faulkner (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Avans (2-for-3), Cody Grosse (2-for-4) and Schwaner (2-for-4) led the Lions at the plate.

———————————————————————-
UCONN…………… 221 000 002 – 7 10 3 (3-2)
Southeastern…….. 111 110 100 – 6 12 3 (5-2)
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Pitchers: UCONN – Feole, Mason; Kersten, Jeff (5); Dandeneau, CJ (7); Poulin, P.J. (9) and Bergmann, Kenny; Phillips, Thad; Susi, Zac. Southeastern – Gaconi, Corey; Shaffer, Trey (6); Hileman, Evan (9) and Wasinger, Daniel.

Win- Dandeneau, CJ (1-0) Save-Poulin, P.J. (1) Loss-Hileman, Evan (0-2) T-3:00 A-1243
HR UCONN – Feldstein, Isaac.
HR SLU – Steckler, Bryce.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy 83, S 17 mph
Feole, Mason faced 2 batters in the 5th.

GAME TWO – UConn 6, Southeastern 4
UConn took advantage of a couple misplays by the Lions in the second inning, picking up three on a home run by first baseman Chris Winkel.

The Lions pulled within a run in the third.

Kyle Schimpf, a junior from Covington, Louisiana, smashed a one-out double over the head of the center fielder. He scored on Brennan Breaud’s two-out single to center. Breaud stole second base and later scored on Grosse’s RBI single to center.

The Huskies got those runs back in the fifth, chasing Southeastern starting pitcher Mason Knopp (0-1) from the game.

Single runs in the sixth and seventh pulled the Lions back within a run, 5-4, but they were never able to overcome the early deficit.

UConn starting pitcher Chase Gardner (1-0) earned the win, allowing three runs in five innings of work. Poulin tossed two shutout innings to close it out, earning his second save of the day. Knopp suffered the loss, failing to make it out of the fifth.

Schimpf (3-for-4) led the Lions at the plate in the nightcap.

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UCONN…………… 030 020 001 – 6 11 1 (4-2)
Southeastern…….. 002 001 100 – 4 6 3 (5-3)
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Pitchers: UCONN – Gardner, Chase; Wallace, Jacob (6); Dandeneau, CJ (7); Poulin, P.J. (8) and Susi, Zac. Southeastern – Knopp, Mason; Biddy, Jared (5); Nini, Jace (7); Warren, Will (9) and Pace, Evan.

Win-Gardner, Chase (1-0) Save-Poulin, P.J. (2) Loss-Knopp, Mason (0-1) T-3:03 A-1360
HR UCONN – Winkel, Chris; Stefanski, Troy.
Weather: Mostly Cloudy 75, S 12 mph
Gardner, C. faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Biddy, J. faced 2 batters in the 7th.