The Huskies returned the favor after the Eagles did the same in March.
UConn baseball got some revenge Tuesday afternoon, enacting the run rule after seven innings to hand the Boston College Eagles a 21-9 loss in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Less than one month ago, the Eagles pummeled the Huskies in an 18-6 loss in Storrs that also ended after seven innings. UConn recorded 17 hits and 21 runs on Tuesday to even the score, the latter of which is a season high.
Redshirt freshman Giovanni Conte made the start — his first appearance of his college career — allowing two earned runs on two hits and a walk. He also struck out one over his inning of work.
Eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit and one RBI. Six Huskies had at least two hits and Connor Lane, Beau Root and Caleb Shpur each had three knocks. Grant MacArthur joined Lane and Shpur in hitting home runs.
The Huskies scored in the top of the frame to set the tone early, as Rob Rispoli walked to begin the afternoon and Caleb Shpur drove them both in with his third home run of the year.
The game remained close through three innings, though it would not stay that way for long. Each squad plated a run in the second inning to tie the game at 3-3, and while UConn tried to pull away with a five-run third inning, the Eagles kept within striking distance with a trio of their own in the bottom half. The Huskies led 8-6 heading into the fourth looking to add on. They would score nine and send 13 hitters to the plate, despite only five hits.
The inning immediately started sideways for John Kwiatkowski, who loaded the bases with on two walks and a hit by pitch. Bryan Padilla doubled to pick up three of his four RBI on the day and advanced to third on a play at the plate. Root singled to score Padilla and Lane followed with a three-run homer. Rispoli was hit by a pitch to restart the rally and eventually scored on a Tyler Minick. The final run came in to score on an Aidan Dougherty double.
In all, the Eagles used four pitchers to escape the inning — eight total in the game — and did not record an out until after the Huskies had fully batted around the lineup once over.
Greg Shaw III was the first arm called upon out of the bullpen. Despite being credited with the win, he allowed four earned over three innings on the mound.
Boston College’s offense continued to churn despite the deficit, scoring a run in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, though it could not climb out of the cavernous hole it had dug in the fourth. UConn scored at least one run in each of the final innings, plating one in the fifth and sixth on top of two in the seventh to reach their final tally of 21.
With the win, UConn (18-17) reaches a mark it has not yet reached all year: a winning record. The Huskies ride a five-game winning streak into the weekend, welcoming Seton Hall to town for a three-game Big East set. First pitch is set for Thursday at 6:05 p.m. on FloSports.