Bryant drops non-league tilt at UConn

STORRS, Conn. – Down by as many as three runs, the Bryant University softball team battled back within one in the top of the sixth, but could not hold off the University of Connecticut, falling to the Huskies, 7-3, on the road at Burrill Family Field in Storrs, Conn. Tuesday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (25-17) were outhit by the Huskies (18-23), 11-8, and stranded eight. Bryant committed two errors and  recorded just three runs, the fewest by the Bulldogs in the past six outings.

Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.) started a new hitting streak with a standup triple to lead off the game and would come across after a textbook safety squeeze bunt was laid down by second baseman Laura Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) for the early Bulldog lead.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second, the Huskies loaded the bases after Kim Silva reached on a fielder's choice, but starting pitcher Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) pulled herself out the jam by dealing a backwards K to end the threat.

The home side would break through in the bottom of the third, as Amy DeLuca go things started with a two-out single to the shortstop. A single off of Houseal's leg and a walk later, Brittany Duclose connected on a 2-2 pitch and sent it over the wall in left field for the grand slam.

Houseal would find herself in another jam with the bases juiced and two outs, but the righty would force a pop up to Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) to get out of the inning.

The Bulldogs would strike back in the top of the fifth when Guy connected on a two-out single to right field. Guy would make her way to second on a passed ball and over to third on a single by Bowen. Rookie slugger would pick up her first RBI in the contest with a single to shallow right, allowing Guy to come across to cut the lead to 4-2.

Facing a two-run deficit, Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) would lead off the inning with a hard-hit single to the first baseman. The California native would then flash her speed with heads-up base running. Kate Murray (Fitchburg, Mass.) laid down a sacrifice bunt with Corder taking off hard for second then third and would make her way to home in the same sequence on a throwing error.

Connecticut distant themselves once again in the bottom of the sixth with two runs on four hits and one error, for the 7-3 lead and the eventual four-run victory.

Houseal, who finished with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings, moved to 13-8 on the season with the loss, as the squad moved to 0-2 against Big East opponents in 2011.

The Bulldogs return to action Thursday afternoon with a non-conference tilt at home against intrastate rival Brown University. First pitch is slated for 4:00 p.m., and fans can follow live stats at www.bryantbulldogs.com.