It seems as if the Hoyas have finally hit their stride.

The weekend certainly proved to be exciting for the Blue and Gray, as Georgetown used two walk-off hits in extra innings to complete a two-game sweep of rival Connecticut – the first Big East sweep in program history. With these victories, the Hoyas extended their winning streak to three, their longest of the season.

After a defensive-minded 2-1 win against UMBC on Thursday, the Hoyas remained home to gear up for the doubleheader against the Huskies on Sunday. Though UConn entered the series with an overall record of 25-14, the Huskies were looking to rebound from a four-game slide and regain momentum for the remainder of Big East play. The Hoyas, however, had other plans.

Defense dominated the first game for both squads, as both teams were held scoreless through the first seven innings. After allowing a double in the first, junior pitcher Jennifer Connell continued her recent dominance on the mound, retiring the next 14 batters consecutively. The Hoyas were also kept in check at the plate, managing only three hits through the first seven innings.

It wasn’t until extra innings that the Georgetown offense finally came to life. After junior third baseman Demetria Cipriano drew a walk, Head Coach Pat Conlan inserted junior second baseman Jadig Garcia as a pinch runner to give the Hoyas some extra speed on the base paths. The move paid off, as Garcia scored all the way from first on sophomore infielder Kristi Preuss’ double, giving the Hoyas the final 1-0 advantage.

Connell rightfully earned the win, allowing just three hits in eight innings of scoreless ball.

Game two was eerily similar to the first, as defense ruled supreme yet again in a grueling extra-inning marathon. The Hoyas were able to pull through in the clutch once more, outlasting the Huskies for a 3-2 victory.  

The Blue and Gray got on the board early, as freshman pitcher Mackensey Carter followed three consecutive singles from Cipriano, Preuss and junior shortstop and co-captain Samantha Peters with a base hit of her own, scoring Cipriano to give the Hoyas a 1-0 edge. UConn, however, was able to escape the inning without further damage, retiring the next three batters consecutively.

Georgetown struck again in the third, as Carter further contributed to her own cause with another RBI single to extend the lead to two runs.

After the Huskies cut the Hoyas’ advantage in half in the top of the fifth, UConn further rallied in the sixth, using a double and a sacrifice bunt to even the score at two. Though the Huskies were threatening to break the game open, Connell came on in relief to retire the next two batters, sending the game into extra innings for a second straight day.

The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the 11th, when sophomore third baseman McKinley Cooper singled to left to start a two-out rally. Junior outfielder Sarah Kamenski then drew a tough walk, moving Cooper to second and setting the stage for junior infielder Kelsie Hanson. Hanson responded emphatically to the situation, lining a single into left field to drive in the winning run.

After pitching brilliantly in five and two-thirds shutout innings of relief, Connell earned her third consecutive victory. The Hoyas can attribute their recent success in large part to Connell, who has given up only two runs in her last 32 innings pitched.

The Blue and Gray will travel to Philadelphia today to complete the second game of a doubleheader against Villanova that had previously been postponed. Georgetown’s next home game will be this Saturday, when the team hosts St. John’s University for an afternoon doubleheader.

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