Box Score
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Game 12 |
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Final Score |
Old Dominion 11, Northeastern 4 (L, Fitzgerald 0-2) |
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Records |
Northeastern 7-5, Old Dominion 7-4 |
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Next Game |
vs. Old Dominion (Norfolk, Va.), 3 p.m. |
NORFOLK, Va. – Northeastern got its bats going in the early innings, but an eight-run seventh frame for Old Dominion led the Monarchs to an 11-4 win over the Huskies on Friday night. The win snapped a five-game win streak for NU, moving the Red and Black to 7-5 (0-1 CAA) in the process.
Neither squad could get things going in the first inning, but the second frame was when Northeastern started to put together some offense. For the ninth time this season, the Huskies drew first blood, this time after
Brad Burcroff (3-for-4, a run and an RBI) was pushed past home thanks to a
John Puttress (2-for-4, a run and an RBI) single. Burcroff started the inning off with a double to left, before taking third thanks to
Rob Fonseca laying down a hit to the mound. ODU also plated one in the second, thanks to a fielder's choice hit from Michael Perez, scoring Ben Slaton, which knotted things up from the get-go.
Northeastern broke the 1-1 tie in the very next inning, starting when
Michael Foster singled through the left side of the field.
Jason Vosler followed by getting on base on an error, pushing Foster into scoring position. Burcroff turned the tables during the next at bat with another single to right, scoring Foster and putting Vosler on third.
Connor Lyons then made it 3-1 when he reached on a fielder's choice, during which Vosler made it safely to home.
After the Monarchs got a run back thanks to a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third, the two teams traded runs in the fourth to keep it at a slim, one-run game. Puttress kept up his momentum with a nice single to right to start the fourth off for the Huskies. After advancing to second on a balk, Puttress eventually was brought home after an
Aaron Barbosa double, the second of the season for the junior.
But then ODU started to turn on their offense in a decisive seventh inning. Earlier in the game,
Brad McLean replaced Cook and pitched well, going 2.2 innings allowing just one run on two hits into the seventh, where he faced just one batter. After Anthony McGowan doubled down the right field line, freshman
Mike Fitzgerald got the call to make his team-high sixth appearance on the hill for the Huskies, but the Monarchs took advantage with one man on.
Josh Eldridge racked up his second home run of the season, pushing one past the right field fence for a two-RBI shot. The very next at bat, Slaton scored another run for ODU with a solo homer to right center, making it 6-4 in the Monarchs' favor quickly. Four consecutive singles for ODU scored two more runs to make it 8-4, prompting an appearance from
James Mulry. ODU refused to let up, however, scoring three more runs in the frame to make it 11-4 in the Monarchs' favor. ODU held Northeastern's bats in check, preventing any rally for the final inning and a half, however, to eventually take game one of the three-game series.
The two clubs will meet tomorrow at 3 p.m. for the second game of the series. The probable matchup will feature NU's
Kevin Ferguson and ODU's Andy Roberts.
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