PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Connecticut downed Saint Peter's 10-1 in non-conference baseball action at the Big Five Baseball Bash on Friday.
Kyle Grimes (Iselin, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) paced the Peacocks (2-10) with a 3-for-3 performance and an RBI while Zach Rawson (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) added two hits and a run scored in the loss.
Bobby Melley powered the Huskies (6-8) with a 4-for-5 game, two RBIs and a run scored. Blake Davey added two hits, three runs scored and two RBIs while Max McDowell had two hits and two RBIs in the winning effort.
Connecticut posted the first two runs of the day and then added eight runs in the eighth to seal the victory.
The Huskies took the 1-0 lead on McDowell's RBI double in the fourth. McDowell then added an RBI single in the sixth to give Connecticut a 2-0 edge.
Saint Peter's got on the scoreboard with a run in the seventh. Rawson singled to open the frame and moved to third when Vinny Maietta (Franklin Square, N.Y./St. Mary's) reached on an error. Grimes then plated Rawson on an RBI single to trim the margin to 2-1. The Peacocks then missed a great scoring opportunity to put more runs on the scoreboard. Sean Henry (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) reached on a fielder's choice for the first out and then Nick Cardamone (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) loaded the bases with a bunt base hit, but a strikeout and fly out ended the inning and the threat.
Saint Peter's loaded the bases again in the eighth, but left all three runners stranded. With two outs, Rawson and Maietta recorded back-to-back singles and Grimes walked before a strikeout ended the stanza with the Peacocks trailing by a run.
Connecticut then scored eight runs in the bottom of the inning to seal a 10-1 win. Davey smacked a two-run homer to start the rally. Aaron Hill coaxed a bases loaded walk to bring in another run and Jack Sundberg reached on an error before Eric Yavarone singled through the left side to plate two more runs. Melley capped the outburst with a two-run single for the nine-run lead.
Zach Hopf (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of work.
The Peacocks return to action on Saturday against Villanova. First pitch is 1 p.m. and the game will be played on the campus of La Salle University.
