Box Score
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Game 16 |
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Final Score |
Northeastern 12, George Mason 5 (W, Cubarney 2-0) |
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Records |
Northeastern 10-6 (2-2 CAA), George Mason 7-10 (1-3 CAA) |
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Next Game |
at George Mason (Fairfax, Va.), 2 p.m. |
FAIRFAX, Va. – Northeastern erupted for 12 runs on a season-high 15 hits from eight different Huskies to take down George Mason in a resounding 12-5 win on Friday. NU (10-6, 2-2 CAA) scored seven combined runs in the final three innings to stave off an attempted comeback from Mason (7-10, 1-3 CAA) in the late stages of the game.
In his first-career start at Northeastern,
Nick Cubarney earned his second win of the season after hurling 6.0 innings and yielding just five hits. The freshman gave up just one earned run, while striking out one in the victory. At the dish, a handful of Huskies had a field day, including
Michael Foster (3-for-5, 2RBI, 1R) and
Rob Fonseca (2-for-4, 1RBI, 3R) who shot out of a cannon with two doubles apiece.
Connor Lyons (3-for-5, 2RBI, 2R) also found success at the plate for the Huskies, garnering his eighth multi-hit game of the year, as did
Brad Burcroff (2-for-5, 2RBI, 2R).
Northeastern has found a niche as a squad that likes to score first in 2013, and the Huskies did just that on Friday, plating the game's first run in the top of the second inning. After Fonseca put one of NU's six doubles on the afternoon into play, Lyons singled to right center to send the Husky sophomore hustling home to make it 1-0.
Mason was frustrated by Cubarney in the first two innings, but after drawing a walk, Nick Allen stole second to put himself into scoring position. The risk paid off as Duncan Satherlie sent a blooper into right center for an RBI single, tying the contest at one run apiece in the bottom of the third inning.
The Huskies went straight on the attack, however.
Michael Foster singled to left in his leadoff at bat, and then
Jason Vosler (1-for-5, 1RBI, 1R) and Burcroff sprayed back-to-back, first-pitch doubles into opposite fields to quickly make it 4-1 in NU's favor. Lyons, who reached on an error, stole second and scooted home on the heels of a
John Puttress (2-for-4, 1RBI) single shot to right, making it 5-1, Red and Black.
In the top of the seventh inning, Northeastern added what looked like just an insurance run after Vosler sent
Pete Castoldi (1-for-4, 2R) home on a sacrifice fly to right. But the Patriots took advantage of a Husky pitching change. With Cubarney's day in the books,
Matt Cook came on in the bottom of the frame and got Allen to quickly ground out to Foster at second. GMU, however, reeled off two consecutive singles, and a third after Tucker Tobin was hit by a pitch. A sac fly with the bases loaded and one final single up the middle with runners on second and third allowed Mason to cut the lead to 6-4 in the blink of an eye.
Undeterred, Northeastern's bats kept steady at the plate. Fonseca started the top of the eighth off with a walk, followed by a Lyons single to left.
Justin Kessler, who came in to pinch hit for starting DH
Shane Allen, boomed a sacrifice fly of his own, bringing Fonseca home to kickstart a four-run inning for NU. Castoldi reached on an error, scoring another to make it 8-4.
Aaron Barbosa (1-for-5, 1R) made contact for the first time all afternoon with an infield hit, something the speedy junior has come to master.
Michael Foster proceeded to clear the bases with his fifth double in the last four games to let NU take a 10-4 lead into the last half of the eighth inning.
Brad McLean, making his fifth appearance this season, spent the final 2.0 innings on the mound for the Huskies, striking out two Mason batters. The freshman gave up just one run which came when the CAA's most potent offensive attacker, Tucker Tobin, connected on an RBI single through the right side, scoring Nick Allen to make it 10-5. The Huskies scored twice more, however, in the visiting half of the final inning. After a Burcroff single, Fonseca sent his second double of the afternoon into left center, deep enough to score his teammate. Two batters later, Fonseca trotted home following a wild pitch to give NU a final 12-5 lead.
Northeastern and George Mason meet again tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field. The Huskies will send out
Nick Berger (2-2, 4.30 ERA) to the mound to face Mason's Anthony Montefusco (1-2, 6.10 ERA).
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