Box Score Box Score

Jon Leroux launched his ninth home run in his last 12 games, but it wasn't enough as 16 Delaware hits and a stingy bullpen lifted the Blue Hens to a 10-3 victory this afternoon in Newark, Del.
 
The loss ends the Huskies' run at the CAA Tournament; they needed a win today and tomorrow along with losses from Towson and Georgia State this afternoon. Towson defeated James Madison in ten innings today to secure the sixth and final seed in the CAA Tournament.
 
Joe Giacchino went 5-for-5 with 4 RBI's to lead Delaware. Chad Kuhl, Devon Pearson and Eric Buckland came out of the bullpen to throw a combined six innings, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks. Sophomore shortstop Oliver Hart drove in the other two Northeastern runs, going 1-for-3 with his eighth double of the year.
 
Junior lefthander Kevin Ferguson took the ball for the Huskies and ran into trouble shortly after a quick first inning. Following two Delaware runs in the second, Ferguson retired the leadoff man in the third but allowed the next five Blue Hens to reach base. The big blow came on a two-run single from center fielder Joe Giacchino to make it 5-0 Delaware. Senior Sam Berg would come on in relief, allowing a run to score on a wild pitch before striking out DJ Long to end the inning.
 
The Huskies wasted little time getting on the comeback trail, with the first four Huskies reaching base in the fourth inning. A hit by pitch and a pair of walks knocked Delaware starter Eric Young out of the box, but sophomore shortstop Oliver Hart greeted Kuhl with a two-run double to left field. Kuhl was able to work his way out of the jam, however, to keep the score at 6-2.
 
The teams then traded solo homers to maintain the four-run margin. First Chris Branigan took Berg deep with his first of the year leading off the bottom of the fourth; then it was yet another bomb from Leroux, who stepped up with two out and none on and blasted his 12^th of the year, and his ninth this month, to make it a 7-3 game.
 
The Leroux homer, however, would end up being Northeastern's final salvo as Delaware scored three unanswered runs to put the game away. Junior Dylan Maki was solid in relief, throwing three innings and allowing just one run while striking out five.
 
Sophomore Aaron Barbosa went hitless on the day, and remains one behind Mike Tamsin's single-season hits record of 74. Barbosa will have one more chance to tie or break the record as Northeastern concludes its season against Delaware tomorrow afternoon; first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.