The UConn baseball team earned a narrow 6-5 victory over Villanova in the series opener at Elliot Ballpark on May 14. The Huskies improved their record to 31-23 overall and 14-5 in the BIG EAST conference.
The win gives UConn a one-game lead over St. John’s, Xavier, and Creighton with two games left to play in the regular season. The outcome is significant as it positions the Huskies alone atop the BIG EAST standings heading into the final stretch of conference play.
UConn started strong by scoring in their third consecutive first inning, highlighted by back-to-back hits from Anthony Belisario and Cam Righi, followed by a sacrifice fly from Jackson Marshall for an early lead. The same trio contributed again in the third inning, with Marshall bringing home another run after Belisario and Righi reached base on hits. In the fifth inning, Marshall’s RBI single extended his streak of reaching base to 43 straight games—marking the longest such streak for a Husky since Zac Susi’s run of 45 games in 2018. Maddix Dalena added an RBI ground out to increase UConn’s advantage.
Charlie West pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts for his eighth quality start this season, tying Cayden Suchy for most on the team. After Villanova closed within one run late—helped by Collin Quintano’s two-run homer—Greg Shaw III came out of the bullpen to record back-to-back strikeouts and secure UConn’s win.
Dalena also contributed offensively with a two-run home run in response to Villanova’s rally; UConn is now undefeated this season when Dalena homers. The series continues Friday evening at Elliot Ballpark.
