Box Score
|
Game 38 |
|
Final Score |
Northeastern 6, Georgia State 5 (13 innings) (W, Foster, 1-0) |
|
Records |
NU 23-15 (8-8 CAA), Georgia State (27-17, 6-10 CAA) |
|
Next Game |
Saturday, April 27 vs. Georgia State (Brookline, Mass.), 1 p.m. |
BROOKLINE, Mass. – In a wild affair which lasted 13 innings, Northeastern's lengthiest game since 2009, the Huskies (23-15, 8-8 CAA) used a blooping single to left center from
Pete Castoldi (1-for-6, 1RBI) to score
Michael Foster (4-for-5, 2R, 1RBI; 1.2IP, 2BB, 3K) for the winning run, handing Georgia State (27-17, 6-10 CAA) a 6-5 loss in the conference series opener.
Holding a 4-0 lead through seven innings, the Huskies yielded five runs to the Panthers in the top of the eighth to fall behind, 5-4. After
Aaron Barbosa (2-for-6, 2R) boomed a triple to right and a sacrifice fly from
Brad Burcroff (0-for-4, 1RBI) scored him in the bottom of the ninth to lock things up at 5-5 into extras, it took four more innings of work until Castoldi hit his bases-loaded, game-winning single.
It was the Northeastern defense, however, that really shined through the first six innings of the game, thanks in part to
James Mulry's (2-0, 1.48 ERA) stint on the mound. The freshman, making his third career start, thwarted the Panthers' deadly attack at the plate during his time on the hill. At one stretch during the game, Mulry tossed six strikeouts in a span of eight batters, leading to a (tied) career high eight strikeouts over 7.0 solid innings of work in the no-decision.
Right off the bat, the defense helped Mulry out though, as Foster, Burcroff and
Connor Lyons (0-for-5, 1R) all boasted highlight-reel web gems in the field. Foster recorded the first out of the afternoon, leaping high in the air to snag a hit from the most potent hitter in the CAA, Chad Prain. In the very next at-bat, Burcroff robbed a home run ball slugged by Drew Shields in left at the 326' mark that would have given GSU an early lead. Later on in the sixth, Lyons showed off his legs after dashing to the center field wall and robbing yet another sure-fire Panthers home run, this time from Nic Wilson, keeping NU's score at the time, 2-0.
Northeastern notched a run in the second and third innings, respectively, first off the bat of Foster scoring Lyons, then by virtue of an error from GSU's Prain scoring Barbosa. Barbosa stole two bases in the home-half of the third, leaving him one bag away from tying Northeastern's all-time career record for steals, set in 1976 by Tom Burke with 66.
After Mulry kept the Panthers' bats at bay, the Huskies tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning, following a fielder's choice RBI from
Justin Kessler (0-for-5, 1RBI) which brought across
Rob Fonseca (1-for-4, 1R) and a groundout by co-captain
John Puttress (1-for-6, 1RBI), plating Foster.
Georgia State made a big run at Northeastern with five runs in the top of the eighth, three of which came with one out. After fellow classmate
Brad McLean (1-0, 4.43 ERA) was given the signal to come on for Mulry after seven, the freshman pitched 0.1 inning, but gave up a walk, a bunt single before putting a runner on after a hit-by-pitch.
Dylan Maki (1-2, 2.60 ERA) came on after McLean, but the Panthers got the best of the Huskies' co-captain, drawing two hit-by-pitches, a walk and two more RBI hits, en route to taking a quick 5-4 lead.
But after Burcroff plated Barbosa in the ninth, Maki found his groove again for three more innings until
Michael Foster came to the hill. Foster (1-0, 1.35 ERA), who scored the winning run for NU also recorded the win -- his first of the season -- pitching the final 1.2 innings of the ballgame.
Northeastern and Georgia State return to the diamond after the emotional Friday contest for game No. 2 of the series. First pitch for Saturday is slated for 1 p.m. at Friedman Diamond.
NOTES:
• 13 innings is the longest game Northeastern has played since the Huskies beat NJIT, 5-4, in 2009 (14 innings)
• The walk-off win was NU's first in nearly a year;
Aaron Barbosa won it for NU on April 28, 2012 at home vs. Towson
• By the (NU)mbers: Huskies are 13-4 in their last 17 contests, 10-5 at home, 20-5 when scoring first, 19-4 when out-hitting the opponent and 10-5 in the Bay State
.
