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Nick Berger threw seven masterful innings, and Jon Leroux's three-run double gave Northeastern a lead it would not relinquish as the Huskies defeated Old Dominion, 6-4, Saturday afternoon at Friedman Diamond.
 
Six Huskies registered multi-hit games in support of the freshman Berger, who struck out five and allowed five hits and two runs over his seven innings. Leroux finished 2-4 on the afternoon with a pair of doubles, and after three hits yesterday is now 13-23 in the month of May.

The win is the latest step in Northeastern's late CAA playoff push; the Huskies began the day alone in tenth place but just three games back of Towson and Georgia State, who are tied for fifth.
 
It was Senior Day at Friedman Diamond, and the Huskies took time before the game to honor seniors Sam Berg, Greg Ferguson, Jimmy Filter, Tucker Roeder, Andrew Leenhouts and Matt Miller.
 
Berger needed just 31 pitches to navigate the first three innings, before the Huskies issued the game's first scoring threat in their half of the third. Consecutive singles from sophomore Oliver Hart and Roeder put men on first and second with none out, before sophomore Connor Lyons bunted the runners over to second and third. Hart immediately broke from third on sophomore Aaron Barbosa's grounder, but ODU's Brian Bashara quickly fired home to cut down the NU shortstop. Junior John Puttress grounded out to end the threat.
 
Berger continued to cruise, with a hit batsman and a fourth-inning double by Chris Baker the lone blemishes on an otherwise perfect record through five, until Northeastern finally broke the dam in the fifth. Hart led off the inning with a lined double and moved to third on a single by Lyons. Barbosa then stepped in and broke the deadlock, firing a single through right side to give Northeastern a 1-0 lead. The Huskies might have had more, but with runners on the corners Puttress lined one right back to ODU starter Ben Tomchick, who easily doubled off Barbosa at first to end the inning.

But the Huskies lead would be short-lived. Berger retired the first two hitters in the top of the sixth, but Josh Eldridge and Baker strung together singles to set the table for Josh Tutwiler. The Old Dominion cleanup man lifted one towards the left field line, and Miller dive was in vain as it fell for a two-run double, giving  Old Dominion a 2-1 lead.
 
Northeastern responded in kind as the game suddenly took on a more offensive tone. Junior Jon Leroux hit what appeared to a routine fly ball to left field, but Josh Eldridge lost his footing and the ball fell for a double. Freshman Jason Vosler then shot Tomchick's next pitch back up the middle, scoring Leroux and tying the game at two.
 
Berger wriggled out of trouble in the seventh, stranding Michael Perez at third base, and the Huskies promptly put the freshman on the winning side of the ledger. Junior Jason Roth, pinch-running after a Roeder single, came around to third when Lyons greeted ODU reliever Brandon Smith with a double down the left field line. After Barbosa walked, Puttress lifted a long sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Roth with the go-ahead run.
 
Déjà vu then struck Old Dominion as another Eldridge misplay cost the Monarchs three runs. Miller walked to load the bases, and Leroux once again lifted a seemingly routine fly ball to left. Eldridge overran it, however, and the ball dropped fair to clear the bases and give the Huskies a 6-2 lead.
 
After tossing a perfect ninth yesterday, Berg tossed an inning and a third before making way for junior Dylan Maki. Old Dominion put two across in the ninth and had the tying run in scoring position, but Maki finally earned his fourth save, getting Eldridge to line out to left to end the game.
 
With the win Berger moves to 4-4 on the year, as the Huskies pulled to within 2.5 games of the final two CAA playoff spots with four games to play. Northeastern will look to sweep ODU tomorrow afternoon at Friedman Diamond; first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
A replay of this game is available at GoNU.com/xstream. GoNUxstream is free to all viewers and features live and on-demand video and audio broadcasts, as well as live game stats, and is accessible on PC and Mac computers, as well as on iPhones, iPads and Android phones.