Box Score

Game 2
Final Score	Houston 4, Northeastern 1 (L, Berger 0-1)
Records	Houston 2-0, Northeastern 0-2
Next Game	vs. Houston (Houston, Texas • Cougar Field), 11:30 a.m.

HOUSTON – Northeastern wasn't without its chances Saturday night against Houston, but two runs in the first and six scoreless innings of work from Austin Pruitt helped the Cougars to a 4-1 win over the Huskies. NU's Nick Berger, who threw four innings and rang up seven, earned the decision in the loss, which moved the Huskies to 0-2 on the year.

Both James Mulry and Mike Fitzgerald made their freshman debuts on the mound and came in in relief of Berger after his four innings. Mulry punched out five batters as the two rookies combined to pitch four scoreless innings themselves. All told, Houston stranded 12 runners on base, but the difference was made as the Huskies' offense struggled to produce runs.

Houston opened up the bottom of the first inning earning two consecutive walks, followed by a throwing error, leading to a quick run. With a man on third following the error, Berger got Caleb Barker to ground out to sophomore Jason Vosler, but another run came home to extend the UH lead.

After Berger allowed Kyle Survance to score in the second, the sophomore settled down, throwing two strikeouts to end the inning. Berger started the third out strong as well, forcing a groundout, fly out and striking out another. But the Cougars' damage had been done.

Pruitt never faced more than four Huskies from the third through the sixth inning, disallowing any chance of a Northeastern rally. When Lemoine came in in relief, sophomore catcher Josh Treff, making his first start in his career behind the plate, tried to get things rolling with two outs. Treff singled to right center, then advanced to third following an Aaron Barbosa single. Barker couldn't handle a Lemoine pitch, resulting in a passed ball which allowed Treff to trot home for the Huskies first and only score.

Two more innings rolled by before Houston's Tyler Ford closed things out. Facing four Huskies, Ford earned three strikeouts to end things with the Cougars taking the 4-1 victory.

The two teams will play tomorrow (Sunday) at 11:30 a.m. in the final game of the season-opening series. Probable pitchers include Northeastern's Kevin Ferguson and Houston's Daniel Poncedeleon.