The Huskies can’t catch a break.
With the game tied at four and San Diego State’s bats having been cold for five consecutive innings, shortstop Rob Rispoli’s third error of the game gave the Aztecs (12-12) two unearned runs, giving them a 6-4 victory over the Huskies (10-13) on Saturday afternoon.
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Rispoli’s error in the eighth and a subsequent wild pitch from reliever Austin Troup put Jabin Toski in scoring position.
Two batters later, with two outs and the inning supposed to be over, Tyce Peterson hit an RBI double to right field to break the tie and ultimately prove to be the game-winner, making UConn pay for their poor defense.
Zach Justice added another run on a single to left for good measure, but the insurance run wasn’t much as the Huskies fell in order in the top of the ninth.
The Aztecs also took an early lead, laying the foundation for the victory.
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After two walks to start the bottom half of the first inning, Cayden Suchy committed a throwing error, allowing Trosky to score the first run of the game. Justice also delivered his first RBI single of the day, a sacrifice fly to center by Dawson Santana, extending the lead to three.
Justice advanced to the third at-bat before Santana’s sac fly, before Rispoli’s first error.
One inning later, the Aztecs quickly added to their score. Zane Kelly hit a leadoff double into the gap in right-center. The right fielder scored on Rispoli’s second fielding error of the day, making it 4-0.
Although the score was uneven, Suki rebounded in this game compared to the previous two games.
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Giving up 5 earned runs in his last outing and 3 in the previous one, the sophomore held the damage to 2 ERA while striking out five Aztecs and allowing just one extra hit in 4.2 innings of work.
Despite his strong early-season results, the left-hander is still looking for his first win of the year and will have to wait until next weekend against Xavier to try again as the Huskies open their Big East schedule.
The Huskies did make some noise in the second half of the game, scoring two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to turn the game into something new.
Chris Polemeni left the yard for the second day in a row. DH’s two-run shot, his fourth of the year, cut the Aztecs’ lead in half.
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Peyton Jemison and Gabriel Tirado combined to get the job done in similar fashion, adding back-to-back leads in the sixth inning and tying the game. A long ball is every hitter’s first of the year.
Despite a wild late performance, Trumpel was another bright spot for the Huskies. The graduate student allowed no runs in 3.1 innings. It was the second time this week that the right-hander went scoreless in more than three innings. The Southern New Hampshire transfer has yet to allow an earned run in 8.2 innings for the Huskies.
Following their second straight loss over the weekend, the Huskies will take another look at the two teams they face today as part of a doubleheader to wrap up their West Coast road trip. UConn will open the day with a rematch against the Aztecs at 1:30 p.m.
The Huskies will then end their California run in the evening against San Jose State (10-12), who mercifully dominated them Friday night at 5:30 p.m. ET. The second game will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network.