Box Score
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Game 26 |
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Final Score |
Northeastern 5, James Madison 0 (W, Ferguson 4-2) |
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Records |
NU 15-11 (5-7 CAA), JMU (14-12, 6-5 CAA) |
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Next Game |
Tuesday vs. Rhode Island (Brookline, Mass.), 3 p.m. |
BROOKLINE, Mass. – Northeastern completed the series sweep over James Madison on Sunday as the Huskies (15-11, 5-7 CAA) defeated the Dukes (14-12, 6-5 CAA), 5-0, thanks to a four-hit, complete-game shutout performance on the mound from senior
Kevin Ferguson. Offensively, the Red and Black drilled 11 hits off JMU pitchers, with seven Huskies getting into the mix. The Huskies totaled 25 runs on 41 hits over the weekend.
Ferguson tossed his first complete game of the year and the first nine-inning complete-game shutout victory for NU since he pulled it off a season ago in a winning performance over Towson (
Nick Berger had a complete-game, seven-inning shutout performance in the Huskies' second game of the year at UT Arlington). The senior lefty struck out a season-best 11 batters, allowing just four hits and walking three on the afternoon to move to 4-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 2013.
Four Huskies recorded multiple hits for NU, a season-best for the Huskies at the plate.
Aaron Barbosa (2-for-4, 2R),
Brad Burcroff (2-for-3, 1R, 1RBI),
Connor Lyons (2-for-4, 1R, 3RBI) and
Justin Kessler (2-for-4) all led the way for Northeastern at the plate. In all, the Huskies hit a season-high four triples, coupled with three doubles for seven extra-base hits against the Dukes.
Barbosa started the Huskies off on the right foot with a leadoff infield single to open up the bottom of the first. Burcroff sent a screaming double to left center, putting runners on second and third with no one out. After Vosler left swinging, Lyons sent a dribbler to Howerton on the mound, but wary of the Barbosa on third, the JMU pitcher tried to set up a run-down play. An errant throw, however, allowed Lyons to reach safely and Barbosa to scoot home for another first-inning run, the third straight game that the Huskies produced early.
Barbosa again got things rolling for NU with a one-out triple to right in the bottom half of the third. Burcroff sent a fly ball deep enough to score Barbosa from third for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 in the Huskies' favor. On the mound, Ferguson kept up his clip of at least one strikeout per inning through seven, allowing just two base runners until the top of the sixth. The bottom half of that inning produced another run for NU, after Vosler sent a seeing-eye single through the right side. After the sophomore advanced a bag thanks to a walk, Lyons blasted a double to left center, pushing Vosler across for the Huskies' third run on the day.
Two innings later, Northeastern tacked on two more insurance runs after a slew of extra-base hits. Burcroff led off the home half of the eighth with a triple to straightaway center, where the wall sits 415 feet away from home plate. After Vosler dribbled one up the first base line for the first out, Lyons himself tripled to center to send Burcroff across.
Rob Fonseca got into the mix, plating Lyons after a big double down the left field line to make it the eventual final tally of 5-0.
Madison eked out two one-out hits in the top of the ninth to give Ferguson a bit of a scare, but the senior held on to preserve the win and the series sweep for the Huskies in style, striking out the final two batters of the game.
Northeastern will host two nonconference opponents this week -- Rhode Island at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and Massachusetts at 3 p.m. on Wednesday -- before rounding out the homestand with a visiting Hofstra team from April 5-7.
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