Polemeni helps UConn clinch at least share of sixth-straight Big East title

UConn’s Chris Polemeni #1 celebrates his second inning home run with Peyton Jemison #19. | Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog For the sixth-straight season since rejoining the Big East, the UConn Huskies (32-23, 15-5 Big East) clinched at least a piece of the conference regular season title on Friday night and did it in style, smoking Villanova (18-30, 4-16 Big East), 8-0. “It feels amazing,” Huskies outfielder Chris Polemeni said after the game.

“Coming into the program, I know we’re known for winning championships and we all expected it. It’s just about how we perform and getting it done. ” Polemeni was responsible for half of the Huskies’ runs, contributing four RBIs and both beginning and finishing the scoring for UConn.

The designated hitter started with a boom in the second inning, lifting an oppo-shot towards right field that barely cleared the blue padding and found the black chain link fence for a wall-scraping solo home run. “Just staying simple and doing damage early in the count,” Polemeni said. “Advantage counts, I’m always looking to do damage until I have to shorten up, just like with runners in scoring position.

Just staying short and do damage, that’s it. ” It’s the second-straight weekend in which Polemeni has blasted a big home run following his grand slam in the series finale against Seton Hall last weekend in a game UConn won 7-3. Though the home run would eventually stand as the game winning run, Polemeni followed that up in the seventh with a bases clearing two-out double into the left field gap with the bases loaded.