Box score

The Northeastern University baseball team mounted a two-out, ninth inning rally to defeat the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 4-3 on Wednesday in New Britain, Conn.

Freshman outfielder Aaron Barbosa drove in junior shortstop Jimmy Filter with two-outs in the final frame for the winning run. Dylan Maki pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save of the year.

Sophomore righty Chris Carmain tossed 3-1/3 innings of one-hit ball to secure his second win of the year. Carmain struck out four and walked none in his 18th appearance of 2011.

Barbosa recorded another steal, a one-out theft in the fifth, for his 26th of the year. Barbosa is just one swipe behind Mark Hopkins' Northeastern single season record of 27 set in 1994.

The Northeastern offense received production up-and-down the lineup, getting multiple-hit efforts from Barbosa, freshman Connor Lyons, senior Jeff Dunlap and sophomore Alan Pastyrnak. Barbosa, Lyons, sophomore John Leroux and sophomore Ricky Salvucci all collected RBI for the Huskies.

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 2-0 second inning lead, scoring individual runs in the first and second for the early edge.

Jake Matuszak singled off of NU starter JT Ross to lead off the first and immediately scored when Anthony Turgeon doubled into right center. Ross would induce three straight ground outs to get out of the first without any additional damage.

CCSU doubled their advantage in the second. Andy Lalli drilled a one-out double and advanced to third when Ross fired a wild pitch to Tyler McIntyre, who subsequently walked to put runners on the corners. Danny Hickey made it 2-0 with a single up the middle to score Lalli from third. Ross gave up a single to Matuszak to load the bases with just one out, but the crafty left-hander was able to escape the second when Turgeron grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Blue Devils' starter Tom Coughlin was replaced by Nate Sturgis to begin the fourth, but the change brought positive dividends for the Huskies. Lyons reached with a leadoff single, but junior co-captain Matt Miller grounded into a fielder's choice to force Lyons at second for the first out. Leroux knocked in the first NU run of the game with an opposite field double to right center to score Miller from first, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1. Batting next, catcher John Puttress tied the game by smacking a single into center to score Leroux from second.

Northeastern captured the lead in the top of the fifth, only to be answered by CCSU in the bottom half. Dunlap led off with a single and reached second with Pastyrnak grounded out for the first out of the inning. Roy Natoli replaced Sturgis on the hill, but Barbosa continued his hot play as of late by reaching via bunt single. The freshman speedster stole second to put Huskies at second and third for Lyons, who singled into center to score Dunlap. Barbosa was waved home on the play, but was gunned out at the dish for the second out. Miller flew out to end the top of the fifth.

Ross drilled Hickey to lead off the bottom half of the fifth, which would prove costly for the senior southpaw. Matsuzak's grounder was misplayed by freshman SS Oliver Hart to put the first two runners on, and both would advance 90 feet when Turgeon threw down a sacrifice bunt to put the two Blue Devils' runners in scoring position. Mitch Wells tied the game when his single sneaked through the right side, scoring Hickey from third and putting Matsuzak at third.  Carmain was subbed for Ross following the equalizing run, and promptly struck out the next two batters to exit the inning with the contest still tied.

Ross went 4-1/3 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and one walk in the no-decision.

In the top of the ninth, Puttress and Salvucci grounded out to open the inning. Filter drew a two-out walk before Dunlap and Pastyrnak smacked back-to-back hits to load the bases for Barbosa. Barbosa capitalized on the RBI opportunity, singling to score Filter for the winning run before Dunlap was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Maki had a relatively simple ninth, allowing a one-out single to McIntyre before an A.J. Lowers groundout and Matsuzak strike out ended the game.

Northeastern returns to Friedman Diamond on Friday, battling the Delaware Blue Hens in a three-game CAA weekend set. Senior co-captain Les Williams is scheduled to start Friday at 3 p.m., with junior lefty Andrew Leenhouts toeing the rubber on Saturday at noon. Senior Brandon McNelis takes the bump on Sunday at 1 p.m.