UConn took advantage of some clutch two-out hitting and the pitching of Anthony Kay to hand Missouri State its first defeat of the new season with a 12-4 decision Friday afternoon at Raymond C. Hand Park. The Huskies (2-2) plated 11 of their 12 runs after the second out in an inning had been recorded, while Kay struck out 10 hitters over six strong innings on the opening day of play at the Riverside Inn Governors Challenge.
Kay (1-0), the No. 23 prospect in the 2016 MLB Draft class according to Baseball America, limited the Bears to three unearned runs on three hits, while matching his career-best strikeout total. The Bears rallied to bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh inning, but senior reliever Devin Over slammed the door shut by stranding the bases full of Bears, and the Huskies offense erupted for five runs in the eighth to seal the outcome.
Tyler Gnesda powered the UConn offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate that included a key two-run single in the first and a back-breaking three-run home run in the eighth. Bobby Melley added a pair of hits, scored two runs and drove home two more to add to the 12-hit attack, while Jack Sundberg went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
With Kay in control on the mound, UConn cashed in on three critical two-out situations to seize command of the game. After MSU starter Jordan Knutson briskly retired the first two hitters in the home half of the first, Melley laced the first of three consecutive UConn hits to right. Joe Deroche-Duffin followed with a double into the gap in left-center, before Gnesda’s liner to center fell in for a two-run single.
UConn went back on the offensive in the third, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five times to build a 7-0 lead. Willy Yahn set the tone for the rally, extending the margin to three runs with a leadoff homer to center before Knutson ran into trouble with an uncharacteristic stretch of wildness. Melley and Gnesda coaxed walks from the junior lefty, and Aaron Hill came through with a run-scoring single after Knutson retired Bryan Daniello on a fly ball for the second out of the inning. Back-to-back walks to Alex LeFevre and John Toppa forced home a fifth UConn run, and Sundberg drilled a two-run single to right to cap the scoring.
The Bears caught a break courtesy of a two-out error in the sixth that opened the door to their first scoring chance of the day. After Kay walked Justin Paulsen, Ryan Mantle’s grounder to third found its way into left field for an error, and Alex Jefferson crushed the next pitch from Kay over the wall in left for a three-run shot that brought MSU back to within 7-3.
MSU’s freshman tandem of Jeremy Eierman and Hunter Steinmetz sparked another rally the following inning, logging back-to-back singles to start the seventh before Matt Dezort’s sacrifice liner to left cut the deficit to three runs. The first of Jake Burger’s tow hits in the game, following by a walk to Spencer Johnson put the tying runs on base, but Over fanned Paulsen and retired pinch hitter Aaron Meyer on a long fly to right to preserve the UConn cushion. The right-hander then retired the Bears quietly in order in the eighth before the Huskies scored five additional two-out tallies thanks to Melley’s two-run single and Gnesda’s homer down the right field line.
MSU reliever Jake Fromson pitched admirably in relief of Knutson, holding the Huskies scoreless on three hits over his first 4 1/3 innings before allowing two of the five UConn runs in the eighth. Knutson (1-1) surrendered seven runs on six hits in his 2 2/3 innings to shoulder the loss.
In addition to Jefferson’s second home run as a Bear, Burger and Johnson added two-hit games to bolster the MSU offense.
The Bears (3-1) will return to action in Clarksville Saturday (Feb. 27) with an 11:30 a.m. game against Alcorn State, before wrapping up the weekend with a 3:30 p.m. contest against host Austin Peay on Sunday.
