Box Score
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Game 28 |
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Final Score |
Northeastern 3, UMass 1 (W, Mulry 1-0) |
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Records |
NU 16-12 (5-7 CAA), UMass (3-15, 0-3 A10) |
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Next Game |
Friday vs. Hofstra (Brookline, Mass.), 3 p.m. |
BROOKLINE, Mass. – Northeastern grabbed its sixth win in seven outings on Wednesday against Bay State rivals, Massachusetts. The Huskies (16-12, 5-7 CAA) defeated the visiting Minutemen (3-15, 0-3 A10), 3-1, thanks to seven solid innings of work from freshman
James Mulry, who earned his first career start and first career win. Mulry gave up just three hits during his stint on the mound, allowing just one unearned run and two walks, while striking out four. Six different Huskies recorded hits to back up Mulry at the plate.
After each side was retired quickly to end the first inning, sophomore
Rob Fonseca (1-for-3) led off the second with a base knock up the middle to try and get things rolling for the Husky offense, but was eventually called out on a fielder's choice.
Michael Foster (0-for-2, BB) reached on a fielder's choice. Foster, who did well to beat out the throw at first to avoid the double play, stole second -- his fifth steal of the season -- and showed off his base-running abilities once again in avoiding a tag during
John Puttress' (1-for-3, 1RBI) at bat. The senior catcher dribbled it to third, but instead of throwing to first, Sanford tried to reach for Foster, who ended up avoiding the tag nicely. But the Huskies couldn't convert two base runners into scores, however, and ended the inning on a slow grounder.
In the top half of the third, Cusick earned a two-out single to center, but Mulry caught him napping and commenced a 1-3-6 pick off to end the inning. On the other side of the inning, LeBlanc retired the Huskies in order for the second time to end the third inning.
After inducing a groundout to start the fourth, Mulry walked McLam, but a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning in quick fashion with the middle of the Huskies' order due up.
Jason Vosler (0-for-3, 1R) led off the bottom of the inning drawing a walk, and eventually made his way around the bases for a score. The sophomore showed good awareness in seeing that UMass' second baseman mishandled a hot single up the middle hit by
Connor Lyons (1-for-3, 1R), and came around to score NU's first run of the day from second. Foster drew a walk and Puttress grabbed a single, but a double play ended any more scoring chances for Northeastern.
Mulry gave up a walk and a hit in the fifth inning, but the freshman grabbed two of his four strikeouts on the day ending the frame with no damage done by the Minutemen. In the home half of the frame,
Aaron Barbosa (1-for-3) got his first hit of the afternoon, but after a Burcroff strikeout, Barbosa was picked off at first for the final out of the inning.
UMass grabbed a run in the next frame when an error from Mulry on a high throw allowed Graef to reach safely and move to second. The Minuteman came home two batters later off a single from Campero to cut the lead to a tense 2-1. Though NU was retired in order in the next two innings,
Matt Cook, who came on in relief of Mulry in the top of the eighth, made sure UMass couldn't steal back another run. Cook struck out two and Puttress nabbed a runner trying to steal second to usher the Huskies into the bottom of the eighth.
Pete Castoldi's (1-for-3, 1R) leadoff single would prove to be big in the grand scheme of things as the senior came all the way around two batters later, after Barbosa edged him along with a sacrifice bunt and Burcroff drove him home with a blooping single to center field to make it 3-1.
Senior co-captain
Dylan Maki made his way to the mound in the top half of the last inning and eventually earned his fourth save of the season, and NU-best 14th of his career, to preserve the Huskies' 3-1 win over the Minutemen.
Northeastern welcomes Hofstra for another home series, making it 13 of the last 14 games in the comforts of Friedman Diamond. The Pride and Huskies will jockey for CAA position Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
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