Storrs — UConn never flinches when locked in a tight game like it was on Sunday.

"We've got slow heart beats," catcher Matt Donlan said. "We just want to be ducks in a rainstorm. We're calm, cool, confident that we're going to get the job done."

More on the ducks in a rainstorm mentality later.

The 15th-ranked Huskies certainly got the job on Sunday at Elliot Ballpark, rallying to beat Creighton, 6-5, to sweep a pivotal three game Big East baseball series and tighten their grip on first place. They improved to 40-8 overall, 14-1 in the league.

They've mastered the art of winning nail-biters, improving to 15-4 in games decided by two runs or less. They beat Creighton by two on Friday, one Saturday and Sunday.

Five of their six runs on Sunday were scored with two outs.

"I don't think we've ever won this many one run or two run ball games," coach Jim Penders said. "There's a calm and a slow heart beat in our dugout. We got down and it was just like business as usual. There was zero panic."

UConn was in command early but lost the lead when starter Enzo Stefanoni allowed five runs in the fifth inning.

Trailing 5-4, the Huskies fought back.

They tied the game in the sixth.

Donlan reached on a one-out single, stole second with two outs and then scored on T.C. Simmons' double down the right field line.

The Huskies surged ahead in the eighth. Donlan and Bryan Padilla led off with back-to-back singles. David Smith's sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run.

Reliever Devin Kirby (1-0) finished off Creighton, retiring the side in order in the ninth to earn his first career win. He struck out four and didn't allow a hit in 2.2 innings.

It was a total team effort for the Huskies, who've won 40 games in a season for the third time in program history.

They played sparkling defense. Left fielder Erik Stock, who had an RBI single, threw out a runner at the plate and made a terrific running catch in foul territory.

"The defense was the difference," Penders said.

The bottom of the order had a productive day with Donlan (2-for-3, a walk, three runs scored), Padilla (2-for-4, one run scored) and Simmons (2-for-3, two doubles, three RBI, a walk, one run scored) doing significant damage.

"Matt Donlan had a really good day and he was in scoring position twice and I was able to put a good swing on it," said Simmons, whose two-run double highlighted a four-run second inning. "The whole lineup knows how to swing it well."

Relievers Jack Sullivan, Brendan O'Donnell and Kirby combined to pitch 4.1 scoreless innings.

And then there's UConn's ducks in the rainstorm mentality.

Let's let Penders explain what that means:

"That's something that I use," Penders said. "A duck in the rainstorm looks like a duck on a placid lake in the summer with no storm. It looks exactly the same. You've got to work a lot harder in a rainstorm but you don't see the work. Those webbed feet are moving like crazy in a rainstorm but he looks the same up top.

"That's kind of how it was (with us). There was a great focus and intensity to the group, but you've got to be a duck in the rainstorm."

UConn is closing in on winning the Big East regular season title. The Huskies are four games ahead of Creighton (25-15, 10-5) with six league games remaining — three at home against Xavier next weekend and three at Georgetown May 19-21.

The Huskies have yet to lose a weekend series this season. That's a significant feat.

"I feel like we're going to win every day," Penders said, "and I think that pervades our dugout and clubhouse. You've got to go out and do it. There's a really good veteran presence on this team."

g.keefe@theday.com