UConn advances to AAC baseball tournament title game
Play Cincinnati in today’s title game for automatic bid into NCAA tourney
Clearwater, Fla. — Colby Dunlop pitched 5.1 shutout innings in relief as UConn advanced to the championship game of the American Athletic Conference baseball tournament with an 8-3 victory over Wichita State on Saturday at Spectrum Field.
The Huskies (36-22), will be making their second straight trip to the finals and third in the six-year history of the AAC. UConn won its only tournament title in 2016.
The Huskies will play Cincinnati (28-29), a 10-6 winner over Central Florida, on Sunday at noon (ESPNews) with the tournament champion earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I tournament.
“Last year we didn't leave here with a ring, so we've very motivated,” UConn head coach Jim Penders said during a post-game interview on www. TheAmerican.org. “Last year we had a very good season, but didn't win a championship, but we've got a chance to win one tomorrow.”
Dunlop entered the game with one out in the second inning after Wichita State had already scored a run and moved a runner to third base. After allowing a wild pitch to give the Shockers a 2-0 lead, Dunlop surrendered only two singles and registered three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work, while the Huskies' offense built a 6-2 lead.
UConn did most of its damage in the second inning, scoring five runs to wipe out Wichita State's early lead. No. 9 hitter Michael Chiovitti laced a two-run double down the right field line to put UConn on the board, and the Huskies added three more on a balk, an RBI single by Anthony Prato and a one-out grounder to second that brought home John Toppa.
Chiovitti, who spent the previous two seasons at UConn Avery Point, was starting just his ninth game of the season.
“It's always someone you least expect,” Penders said, “but I've told everyone you've got to be ready come tournament time.”
Chris Winkel scored on the back end of what could have been an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the fifth, but Prato beat the throw to first, allowing the Huskies to take a 6-2 lead. UConn added a seventh run when the Shockers couldn't handle Prato's grounder to short, allowing David Langer to score from third, making it 7-2.
Langer and Michael Woodworth had two hits apiece for UConn, while Winkel and Paul Gozzo drew three walks each.
Track and field
• Coast Guard Academy's Kaitlyn Mooney and Ben Zarlengo earned All-America honors on the final day of the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships in Geneva, Ohio.
Mooney, a sophomore, placed third in the 5,000-meter race in 17 minutes, 14.80 seconds while Zarlengo, a junior, set a school record in the hammer (187 feet, 6 inches) on his final throw to moved up one spot into eighth at earn his All-America status.
Mooney ran in the lead pack of four people for the first 12 minutes of the race before Annie Rodenfels made her move. Rodenfels, a senior from Centre won with a time of 16:55.45, almost 12 seconds ahead of second-place Elise Ramirez (17:07.34).
Mooney, the indoor national champion at 5,000 meters, earned All-America honors for the seventh in her career (cross country, indoor and outdoor track), while the honor was a first for Zarlengo.
Also for Coast Guard, Adora Lawrence placed ninth in the women's 400 meters in 57.84.