The Huskies are on to the Big East Tournament final.
UConn baseball advanced to the Big East Tournament final on Friday afternoon, using a six-run fifth inning to take down Xavier, 11-2. Jim Penders’ team earned an important bubble win as it jockeys for NCAA Tournament position, including with the Musketeers.
Eleven Huskies came to the plate in the frame, scoring six runs to turn a 4-0 advantage into a much larger 10-0 lead. The first six hitters reached base safely, starting with a Ryan Daniels home run, one of his three hits on the afternoon. Tyler Minick and Sam Biller singled, then Adian Dougherty and Beau Root worked walks to push a second run across the plate. Bryan Padilla and Rob Rispoli each knocked two-run base hits to bring UConn’s run total to 10 with just one out.
It could have been an even larger frame, but Rispoli got picked off second base for a second out. Caleb Shpur and Daniels each singled to put runners on the corners, but Minick could not extend the inning.
Xavier’s offense was held at bay all afternoon, starting with Charles West. He faced the minimum through two and over his first six frames, no more than four Musketeers came to the plate. He allowed a leadoff home run in the sixth, but kept the damage to the minimum.
West gave his team 6 1⁄3 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out five, leaving the bases loaded in the seventh. Sean Finn came in to relieve him and stranded two of the runners he inherited. Xavier added a second run via a walk, but it was between two of Finn’s six strikeouts to limit the damage.
Finn worked around a two-out walk in the eighth and struck out the side in the ninth. He contributed 2 2⁄3 no-hit innings, walking two in the process.
The Huskies were held quiet in the first two frames, but opened the scoring with three in the third. Rispoli led off the frame with a walk, then Caleb Shpur and Daniels each knocked two-baggers to push it to 2-0. Minick added a single to make it 3-0.
Root singled to start the fourth, one of five times the leadoff hitter reached safely in eight at-bats for UConn. He came around after Matt Garbowski and Rispoli base hits.
Minick doubled to begin the eighth as Xavier struggled to catch a high fly ball. He added an insurance run two hitters later, as Dougherty singled him home for an insurance run.
The Huskies pounded out 15 hits, all nine starters getting at least one. They also worked seven walks and five hitters reached base at least three times.
UConn (38-20) will face Creighton in the Big East Tournament final on Saturday at 5 p.m. on FS1. If the Huskies win, the teams will play immediately after on FS1 in a winner-take-all contest.