Northeastern staged another huge comeback, topping Central Connecticut State 3-2 on an Omar Pena single in the bottom of the ninth to score Brad Czarnowski in the Huskies' final home game of the season at Friedman Diamond on Tuesday afternoon. Freshman Matt Piryk pitched the complete game for the win to improve to 5-1. It was the third time in NU's last five games that the Huskies have won in their final at bat.
Leading off the bottom of the ninth, Nick Graves just missed his sixth homer of the season but lined a shot off the wall in left center. Though his hit didn't quite carry out of the park, Graves represented the tying run at second base with no outs. Mike Steinberg followed with a sacrifice bunt, his third bunt of the day, to move Graves to third with one out. Czarnowski hit a double to score Graves, tying the game 2-2. Pena then singled up the middle and the speedy Czarnowski made it home to give the Huskies the 3-2 win.
Central Connecticut scored first with a run in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Kevin Rival hit a grounder to Pena that he threw to get Tim D'Aquila out at third but a run scored. Blue Devil Chip Rourke then grounded into a double play to end the Central Connecticut threat.
The Huskies evened the score in the bottom of the sixth when Ben Beck doubled home Luke Carlin to make it 1-1. Central Connecticut State took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth when second baseman Jay Landeen slugged Piryk's offering over the wall in left-center. The Huskies had a scary moment a play earlier. Central Connecticut State shortstop Adam Orlando hit a fly to right-center and Czarnowski and Jeff Heriot collided while attempting to make the play. Heriot, the current America East Player of the Week, held on to the ball for the out but both players remained on the ground for several moments. After receiving medical attention from the on-site athletic trainers, Heriot and Czarnowski both returned to the field to finish the game. Both players continued to produce in as Czarnowski hit the game-tying double and then scored the winning run, while Heriot pounded a shot deep into centerfield that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double.
Steinberg had a strong game for NU as he went 2-2, including a bunt single, two sacrifice bunts and three stolen bases.
Coach McPhee's squad returns to action on Thursday when they take on Bentley in Waltham at 3 p.m.
Cen. Connecticut St. 2 (29-18)
Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Jay Landeen 2b............ 4 1 2 1 0 0 2 6
Robert Hosgood cf......... 4 1 2 0 0 0 2 0
Tim D'Aquila c............ 4 0 2 0 0 1 3 0
Phil Rothkugel dh......... 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Kevin Rival rf............ 4 0 0 1 0 1 2 0
Chip Rourke 1b............ 3 0 0 0 0 1 12 1
Ned Coffee lf............. 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Nick Macellaro 3b......... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 6
Adam Orlando ss........... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
Scott Vitelli p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chad Holderman p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Donald Crossman p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals.................... 32 2 7 2 1 3 25 18
Northeastern 3 (23-17)
Name (Pos) AB R H RBI BB SO PO A
Brad Czarnowski cf........ 3 1 2 1 1 0 5 0
Omar Pena ss.............. 5 0 1 1 0 1 1 4
Luke Carlin 3b/c.......... 4 1 2 0 0 0 1 4
Miguel Paquette dh........ 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Ben Beck 1b............... 3 0 1 1 1 0 5 0
Jeff Heriot rf............ 4 0 2 0 0 0 3 0
Erik Hagstrom 2b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 0 4 4
Colin Gaynor c............ 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Diego Garcia pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nick Graves 3b............ 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Mike Steinberg lf......... 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 0
Matt Piryk p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals.................... 33 3 13 3 2 1 27 12
Score by innings: R H E
----------------------------------------------
Cen. Connecticut St. 000 100 010 - 2 7 1
Northeastern 000 001 002 - 3 13 1
----------------------------------------------
Note: 1 out, 1 runner(s) LOB when the game ended.
E - Orlando; Carlin.
DP - CCSU 2; Northeastern 3. LOB - CCSU 5; Northeastern 10.
2B - Macellaro; Czarnowski; Beck; Heriot; Graves.
HR - Landeen.
SB - Carlin 2; Heriot; Steinberg 3.
SH - Steinberg 2.
Cen. Connecticut St. IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Scott Vitelli....... 2.2 4 0 0 0 1 11 11
Chad Holderman...... 2.2 3 1 1 1 0 9 11
Donald Crossman..... 3.0 6 2 2 1 0 13 16
Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Matt Piryk.......... 9.0 7 2 2 1 3 32 34
Win - Piryk 5-1. Loss - Crossman 3-2. Save - None.
HBP - by Holderman (Czarnowski); by Piryk (Rourke).
Start: 3 pm Time: 2:30 Attendance: 45
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 1
Landeen singled down the rf line. Hosgood reached on a fielder's choice;
Landeen advanced to second on an error by 3b. D'Aquila struck out swinging.
Rothkugel grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b; Hosgood out on the
play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 1
Czarnowski singled, bunt. Pena flied out to lf. Carlin singled through the
right side; Czarnowski advanced to third. Carlin stole second; Czarnowski
out at home ss to c. Paquette grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 2
Rival grounded out to 3b. Rourke struck out swinging. Coffee flied out to
cf to right center. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 2
Beck grounded out to 3b. Heriot singled to center field. Hagstrom flied
out to rf. Heriot stole second. Gaynor flied out to cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 3
Macellaro flied out to lf. Orlando flied out to rf. Landeen flied out to
lf to left center. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 3
Steinberg singled through the left side. Steinberg stole second.
Czarnowski grounded out to 3b. Pena struck out looking; Steinberg stole
third. Holderman to p for Vitelli. Carlin grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1
hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 4
Hosgood singled to center field. D'Aquila singled to center field; Hosgood
advanced to second. Rothkugel walked; D'Aquila advanced to second; Hosgood
advanced to third. Rival reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; Rothkugel
advanced to second; D'Aquila out at third ss to 3b; Hosgood scored. Rourke
grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Rival out on the play. 1 run, 2
hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 4
Paquette grounded out to 2b. Beck walked. Heriot hit into double play ss
to 1b; Beck out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 5
Coffee grounded out to 3b. Macellaro doubled to right center. Orlando
popped up to rf. Landeen flied out to cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 5
Hagstrom singled to left field. Hagstrom out at second p to ss to 1b to 2b
to p, picked off. Gaynor flied out to cf. Steinberg singled, bunt.
Steinberg stole second. Czarnowski hit by pitch. Pena popped up to lf. 0
runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 6
Hosgood singled. D'Aquila grounded into double play ss to 2b to c; Hosgood
out on the play. Rothkugel popped up to cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Northeastern inning 6
Carlin singled to shortstop. Carlin stole second. Paquette flied out to rf
to right center; Carlin advanced to third. Crossman to p for Holderman.
Beck doubled down the lf line, RBI; Carlin scored. Heriot fouled out to c.
Hagstrom grounded out to 2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 7
Rival struck out swinging. Rourke hit by pitch. Coffee reached on a
fielder's choice; Rourke out at second 3b to 2b. Macellaro reached on a
fielder's choice; Coffee out at second 3b to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 7
Gaynor reached on an error by ss. Garcia pinch ran for Gaynor. Steinberg
grounded out to 3b, SAC, bunt; Garcia advanced to second. Czarnowski
walked. Pena flied out to 2b. Carlin grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits,
1 error, 2 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 8
Carlin to c. Graves to 3b for Garcia. Orlando flied out to rf. Landeen
homered to left center, RBI. Hosgood flied out to cf. D'Aquila singled to
right center. Rothkugel flied out to lf down the lf line. 1 run, 2 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern inning 8
Paquette singled. Beck grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; Paquette
out on the play. Heriot doubled to center field. Hagstrom grounded out to
2b. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Cen. Connecticut St. inning 9
Rival flied out to lf to left center. Rourke flied out to cf to left
center. Coffee grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern inning 9
Graves doubled to left center. Steinberg grounded out to 3b, SAC, bunt;
Graves advanced to third. Czarnowski doubled to left center, RBI; Graves
scored. Pena singled up the middle, RBI; Czarnowski scored. 2 runs, 3
hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
