UConn repeats as Big East baseball champs
May 30—UConn repeats as Big East champs
By Journal Inquirer Staff
MASON, Ohio — The UConn baseball team is returning to Connecticut with a second straight Big East Tournament championship in tow.
Bryan Padilla went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and three RBIs and Matt Donlan added a two-run single to lead the Huskies to a 7-2 victory over Xavier in the first game of the tournament championship series Sunday at Prasco Park.
As it turned out, there was no reason to worry about the UConn baseball team's mastery of the Big East. The losing streak to end the regular season was just a hiccup; the Huskies dominated the conference tournament.
UConn (46-13) defeated Georgetown, Creighton and Xavier by a combined score of 18-3 to sweep the double-elimination tournament and earn the conference's automatic NCAA bid.
The Huskies will learn their NCAA tournament assignment when the field of 64 is revealed today at noon.
The Huskies are expected to be a No. 2 or 3 seed at one of 16 four-team regionals.
UConn will be making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010.
The Huskies have not reached the College World Series since 1979.
Donlan drove in two runs on a one-out infield single in the bottom of the first to give UConn a 2-0 lead.
Padilla hit a two-run homer to left center in the bottom of the second to put UConn up 4-0. Three batters later, Erik Stock singled to center to extend the Huskies' lead to five.
Xavier plated two runs in the top of the fourth to cut its deficit to three, but RBI singles from Padilla and T.C. Simmons in the bottom of the seventh restored the Huskies' five-run advantage.
Garrett Coe threw four shutout innings of relief to earn the victory. The sophomore left-hander allowed one hit while striking out three.
Connor Bailey took the loss. The sophomore right-hander allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits in one inning.
