CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -
Three pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout as No. 14
Connecticut knocked off the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi baseball
team 7-0 on Sunday in the finale of the Kleberg Bank College
Classic at Whataburger Field. Trey
Hernandez had two hits, including his third double of the
tournament, in a losing effort.
Justin
Meza collected the loss for the Islanders despite a strong
performance on the mound. The freshman went five innings, allowing
five hits and two walks with eight punchouts. Two of the three runs
he surrendered were earned. He was outdueled by Connecticut's Greg
Nappo, who scattered three hits and two walks to go with seven
punchouts in six innings.
George Springer hit a three-run homer and drove in four in the
contest, while Mike Friel and Nick Ahmed each added two hits for
the Huskies. The Islanders got solo base knocks from Drew
Vest, Matt
Holland and Santiago
Ruiz. Ian
Campbell pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings out of the pen, while Adam
Hoelscher allowed just one unearned run in two innings.
Early on, both teams put zeroes on the board, with Meza and
Nappo each posting impressive performances out of the gate. The
Huskies cracked the scoreboard first, scraping across a run in the
top of the third. With the bases loaded and two down, Springer drew
a walk to force in the opening tally of the game to make it
1-0.
Then in the fourth, UConn pushed another two across. The leadoff
man drew a walk and stole second, and after two Meza punchouts,
John Andreoli rapped a single to center to make it 2-0. Friel then
struck out, but reached on a passed ball, and Ahmed singled home
Andreoli for a 3-0 Husky lead.
Then Springer delivered the biggest blow of the game against
reliever Roy
Ferdin. With two on and one-out, the preseason All-American
ripped a pitch just over the wall in left center to make it 6-0 in
favor of the visitors.
Meanwhile, Nappo continued to cruise, retiring 10 straight
batters at one point. In both the fifth and sixth, the Islanders
got a pair of base runners aboard with two down, but in both cases,
the Husky hurler was able to dance his way out of danger after well
hit balls found their way into the gloves of opposing fielders.
UConn tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth to make it
7-0.
The Islanders placed two players on the All-Tournament Team, as
Sean
Washington (outfield) and Holland (DH) were both honored by
members of the media. Oregon State's Parker Berberet was named the
Tournament MVP.
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi returns to action on Tuesday,
with a doubleheader at Houston Baptist. First pitch of the double
dip is scheduled for noon.
KLEBERG BANK COLLEGE CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT
TEAM
C - Andrew Susac, Oregon State
1B - Parker Berberet, Oregon State
2B - Micah Johnson, Indiana
3B - Dustin Demuth, Indiana
SS - Michael Basil, Indiana
OF - Justin Cureton, Indiana
OF - Alex Dickerson, Indiana
OF - Sean
Washington, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
DH - Matt
Holland, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
P - Sam Gaviglio, Oregon State
P - Greg Nappo, Connecticut
P - Matt Barnes, Connecticut
Tournament MVP - Parker Berberet, Oregon
State
