Huskies hit end of road

Norwich - UConn's lasting memory of its NCAA regional championship appearance will have nothing to do with the outcome.

Sure, it will be hard for the Huskies to shake a frustrating 4-3 loss to Oregon in Sunday's elimination game at Dodd Stadium.

But they'll savor the experience of a special season during which the program experienced a major growth spurt and awoke a state fan base, creating an electric postseason atmosphere.

"It was awesome," junior Pierre LePage said. "This is a really special year with a group of special guys. I'm going to take this memory with me for the rest of my life. I don't think I'll ever be a part of something like this again."

The experience ended on a sour note because Oregon (40-23) delivered timely hits and executed to near perfection. Oregon never trailed and beat UConn for the second time in three days (the Ducks won 5-3 in Friday's regional opener).

"It was very similar game to our first game with Oregon," coach Jim Penders said. "They did the little things. … When they had to make a play, they made it. We didn't quite do that today. They deserved to win the game."

The Huskies stranded nine runners and watched a scrappy opponent mount rallies with bloop and check-swing hits, stolen bases and sacrifice bunts.

"Coach (George) Horton always has the saying, 'Get them on, get them over and get them in,' " Oregon reliever Scott McGough said. "That's basically what we did. We try to play Duck baseball. … It's pretty fun to see because it frustrates teams."

McGough was on the mound when Ducks left fielder Andrew Mendenhall, a defensive replacement, robbed LePage of a potential game-tying hit with runners on second and third with no outs in the ninth. The prior inning, McGough struck out the side in the eighth after George Springer and Mike Nemeth reached on singles.

Instead of a possible two-run double, LePage had to settle for a sacrifice fly, cutting the gap to 4-3.

"I crossed my fingers and prayed," LePage said of his reaction watching the play. "He made a great catch. That's the way baseball is. It's a game of inches."

Following Billy Ferriter's infield single leading off the ninth, the game was delayed 58 minutes by lightning. When play resumed, John Andreoli reached on a throwing error, putting runners on second and third. But the Huskies managed just one run.

For the second straight meeting, reliever Madison Boer closed out the game for Oregon. Boer got Nick Ahmed to fly out and struck out No. 3 batter Springer, who finished 3-for-5. Starting pitcher Justin LaTempa allowed seven hits and two runs in six innings to earn the win.

Oregon built a 4-1 lead without a hard hit ball.

In a two-run second inning, Shawn Peterson's check-swing single drove in the first run following back-to-back singles by Steven Packard (infield chopper) and Jack Marder (blooper to center). J.J. Altobelli's safety squeeze bunt increased the lead.

A leadoff walk, sacrifice bunt, stolen base and Danny Pulfer's ground-out to the right side made it 3-1 in the third. Pulfer added a sacrifice fly in the fifth for a 4-1 edge.

A powerful UConn lineup was held in check following a 25-run outburst in Saturday's win over Central Connecticut State University. In the third, Ahmed's single scored LePage, who had doubled. John Andreoli's sacrifice fly narrowed the deficit to 4-2 in the seventh.

Starter Matt Barnes had a decent outing, allowing four runs in six innings. But his teammates came up short in the run-producing department.

Shorty after the final out, Penders turned his attention to recruiting, planning to go out on the road today. His goal: Bring in the best home-grown talent, much like he's done in recent years.

It's a safe bet many more recruits know about UConn than before this season.

"We made progress, Penders said. "We have won more games than any other team that has worn the uniform since 1896. Nobody can take that away. They should feel proud of themselves. I saw some heads hanging, but they have nothing to be ashamed of.

"They should walk out with their heads held high and know that they have gotten into what I think of as some uncharted territory."