CLEARWATER, Fla. – Troy Stefanski went 3-for-3 with a two-run triple as UConn advanced to the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship for the fourth straight year with its second win of the day, a 7-5 victory against Wichita State Wednesday at Spectrum Field.
The Huskies (34-18-1), who are 2-0 in the double-elimination bracket, will face either USF or Wichita State Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET at Robin Roberts Field and would advance to the championship final with a win. The Shockers (35-20-1) face the Bulls in an elimination game at 9 a.m. ET at Robin Roberts Field.
Stefanski paced a UConn lineup that registered 11 hits, all from the top six batters in the order. His two-run triple in the top of the seventh inning broke a 4-4 tie after UConn had overcome an early 4-1 deficit.
The Shockers had built the lead in the bottom of the second inning as they sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs as Jordan Boyer squeezed home Ross Cadena, Luke Ritter smacked an RBI single to right, Greyson Jenista delivered a sacrifice fly and Ritter scored on a wild pitch.
The Huskies answered in the top of the fifth to tie it as John Toppa scored on a passed ball and Anthony Prato scored on Isaac Feldstein’s RBI triple to center. Stefanski then brought Feldstein home on a base hit to center to make it 4-4.
Stefanski gave UConn the lead for good with his triple in the seventh, and the Huskies added an insurance run in the eighth on Prato’s base hit to left which brought home Conor Moriarty from second, giving UConn a 7-4 lead.
Wichita State third-baseman Alec Bohm registered his 200th career hit with a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning to bring the Shockers within two, but UConn closer P.J. Poulin got the next two hitters out to register his 16th save of the season.
Tim Cate (4-4) got the win out of the bullpen for UConn. Cody Tyler took the loss in relief for Wichita State, falling to 4-1.
The latest information on the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship is available on the conference’s Championship Central page at
www.TheAmerican.org/Baseball.
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
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UPDATED TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 22
Game 1 – No. 4 ECU 8, No. 5 UCF 4
Game 2 – No. 8 Tulane 11, No. 1 Houston 6
Wednesday, May 23
at Spectrum Field
Game 3 – No. 7 Wichita State 4, No. 2 USF 3
Game 4 – No. 3 UConn 6, No. 6 Cincinnati 2
Game 8 –UConn 7, Wichita State 5
at Robin Roberts Field
Game 5 – Houston 6, UCF 2 (UCF eliminated)
Game 7 – ECU 6, Tulane 5
Game 6 – USF 9, Cincinnati 4 (Cincinnati eliminated)
Thursday, May 24
at Spectrum Field (American Digital Network)
Game 9 – Tulane (25-32) vs. Houston (34-22) 9 a.m.
Game 11 – ECU (41-15) vs. Winner of Game 9 12:30 p.m.
at Robin Roberts Field (American Digital Network)
Game 10 – Wichita State (35-20-1) vs. USF (33-19-1) 9 a.m.
Game 12 – UConn (34-18-1) vs. Winner of Game 10 12:30 p.m.
TBD (American Digital Network)
Game 13 – Loser of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 11 (if necessary) TBD
Game 14 – Loser of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 12 (if necessary) TBD
TBD (ESPNews)
Game 15 – Semifinal winners TBD
all times Eastern
dates and times subject to change