The Huskies were swept in a Saturday doubleheader.
UConn basebal suffered another series loss in its non-conference slate, winning the first game against the Campbell Camels Friday before losing both games of a double header Saturday. The Huskies led by as many as three runs in the first game Saturday and four runs in the second but allowed a late-game comeback in each loss.
Friday: UConn 6, Campbell 5
Oliver Pudvar was sparkling on Friday evening, giving his team six innings of three-hit ball. He surrendered just one run, walked a sole batter and registered eight strikeouts.
Campbell’s lone run against Pudvar came on a solo homer to start the third and while the Camels had a runner on base in each frame but the fifth, they only reached scoring position in the first and sixth.
UConn didn’t get on the board until the fourth, doing all its damage in the frame. Grant MacArthur got it started with a two-run double, plating Ryan Daniels, joining Sam Biller in the multi-hit club, and Tyler Minick. Bryan Padilla worked a walk and Aidan Dougherty tried to keep the line moving with a bunt, but a bad throw put him on second and permitted MacArthur to cross the plate. Biller knocked in Padilla and on a sacrifice bunt, Connor Lane earned an RBI. The onslaught finished on a Tyler Minick base hit.
All told, the Huskies had six of their eight hits in the frame, left two runners on base and sent 11 hitters to the plate. They got a runner into scoring position just two other times and Campbell pitching faced the minimum in five innings.
Frank Spirito IV was the first reliever out of the bullpen and the Camels took advantage with a three-run frame to get to within two, ending the seventh with the tying run at the plate. Spirito IV was one strike away from a clean inning, but hit Thompson and then plunked Meglio with a full count. He allowed a two-run double and that was enough for head coach Jim Penders, as he went and got his pitcher in favor of Jude Abbadessa. Campbell got another two-bagger, but Abbadessa was able to get out of the frame without further incident.
After working around a hit in the eighth, Brady Afthim earned his first save of 2025, leaving the bases loaded in what became a one-run game. The Camels scored the run with a trio of singles, two of which came with two outs and the run scored with the home team down to its final strike.
Saturday Game 1: Campbell 7, UConn 6 (10 innings)
The Huskies and the Camels suited up for two games Saturday as the result of expected inclement weather. Thomas Ellisen got the start in the first half of the twin bill, looking to top Oliver Pudvar’s masterful starting outing Friday.
UConn’s offense, with the help of Campbell’s defense, gave Ellisen some early breathing room. With two outs, Ryan Daniels and Grant MacArthur both walked. Aidan Dougherty singled, scoring Daniels, and Sam Biller reached on an error the following at bat to load the bases. Carter Groen was hit by a pitch from Campbell starter Mason Smith, bringing home Daniels.
Ellisen struggled in the inning’s bottom half, and the Camels immediately brought the game back to even, scoring two runs in the inning on two hits, two walks and a few stolen bases.
UConn wasted no time in the following frame, retaking the lead with their second-consecutive two-run inning. Caleb Shpur singled, Rob Rispoli reached on an error and a double steal gave UConn two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Daniels grounded out, but brought Shpur home and advanced Rispoli to second in a productive at-bat. MacArthur was intentionally walked, but later got caught in a rundown. While he was tagged out, he gave Rispoli enough time to scamper home to make the score 4-2.
In the third, Biller doubled and went to work creating UConn’s fifth run. He stole third and trotted home on a throwing error from the Campbell catcher. It was a sloppy game overall on both sides, with each team committing three errors.
The Camels tied the game once more in the fourth. Ellisen allowed a leadoff home run and walked the following hitter, ending his day. Thomas Galusha came in out of the bullepn and the first four hitters all reached base — a walk, hit, hit by pitch and a walk — before he settled in. Two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice ended the inning with the game tied at 5-5.
UConn took its third lead of the game in the fifth. Dougherty laid down a bunt to score Daniels, who had tripled with one out. Greg Shaw III kept Campbell at bay with four tremendous innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out five.
But Campbell did tie the game once more, coming alive in the eighth to rally against two of the Huskies’ top arms out of the bullpen. Jude Abbadessa allowed two walks and was removed for Brady Afthim, who allowed a single to score a run and immediately loaded the bases. He was able to escape the jam unfazed, registering two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice to keep any additional runs off the board.
As the game progressed into extra innings, the Huskies offense slowly petered. With Afthim in for the bottom of the 10th — his third inning of work — he allowed a double and a walk before intentionally walking a runner to set up a force at any base. With the bases loaded and one out, a single from Campbell’s Charlie Meglio sent the Camels home with the 7-6 walk-off win.
Saturday Game 2: Campbell 8, UConn 5
The story of the second Saturday game read much like the story of the first. UConn went up on Campbell and maintained the lead through the middle innings but slowly fell flat before letting their lead slip in at the end. The Huskies carried a 5-1 lead into the sixth but fell apart in the bottom of the frame, allowing six runs to let the Camels jump out in front.
In the first, UConn would get two quick runs. A Rob Rispoli walk, Tyler Minick single and Ryan Daniels free pass loaded the bases to start the game. Grant MacArthur and Sam Biller both made outs but were responsible for the RBIs, each bringing home a run in productive at-bats.
In the fifth, starter Cayden Suchy allowed his first run of the game, albeit unearned. Suchy gave up a walk and a single to put two runners on. Padilla threw the ball away on the following play — a ground ball to third — and the Camels were able to get on the board, slicing UConn’s lead in half.
The Huskies surged again in the sixth, scoring three runs to extend its lead to four. Daniels and MacArthur walked and Biller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Daniels and set up two more in scoring position. The next batter, Shpur, grounded out but pinch hitter Beau Root singled to score two.
Suchy’s promising start would come to an end in the sixth, when he allowed four of his first five hitters faced in the inning to reach base — all on hits. Ian Cooke, who did not start this weekend for the first time this season, came on in relief but did not fare much better. He allowed a walk, single and double on his first three hitters before coaxing two fly outs to end the inning. In all, Campbell scored six in the sixth and took a 7-5 lead. The Camels scored one more run in the eighth, again charged to Cooke, who finished the day with 2 2⁄3 innings pitched and three earned runs, hits, walks and strikeouts. Suchy’s final line read 5 1⁄3 innings, four earned, five hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
The Huskies were able to get at least one runner on in each of the final three innings, but were never able to cash in and threaten Campbell’s lead.
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UConn (6-10) continues its North Carolina road trip with a game against Duke on Tuesday. First pitch is at 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.