Box Score

Game 31
Final Score	Northeastern 9, Hofstra 1 (W, Ferguson 5-2)
Records	NU 18-13 (7-8 CAA), Hofstra (14-18, 4-8 CAA)
Next Game	Tuesday at UConn (Storrs, Conn.), 3 p.m.

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Northeastern's bats came alive on Sunday as the Huskies (18-13, 7-8 CAA) slugged 10 hits on their way to defeating Hofstra (14-18, 4-8 CAA), 9-1, to take the series against the Pride. Three different Huskies had multiple hits, including Aaron Barbosa (3-for-5, 3R), Connor Lyons (2-for-4, 2R, 3RBI) and Rob Fonseca (2-for-4). Sophomore Jason Vosler (1-for-4, 1R, 1RBI) belted a solo home run in the third to add to Northeastern's powerful day.

NU used an 8.2 innings of work from Kevin Ferguson on the mound to stifle Hofstra's potent offense. The senior lefty gave up just five hits and one run while striking out six batters to move to 5-2 on the year with a svelte 1.86 ERA, tops on the team.

The Huskies pounced early, scoring twice in the game's first inning. After a leadoff single through the right side, Barbosa stole second -- the junior's 15th stolen bag of the year. Lyons drove him home two batters later with a two-out double to left center. After Fonseca drew a walk in the next at bat, Michael Foster (1-for-4, 1R, 1RBI) pounded a single to center to score Lyons, giving the Huskies an early 2-0 lead.

Ferguson struck out four of the next six Hofstra batters before Northeastern's offense struck again. Leading off the third, Vosler connected on a pitch and sent it deep into the stands in right field for his first home run of the season. The Huskies added two more in the frame after Lyons and Fonseca earned back-to-back singles and Justin Kessler (0-for-2, 2BB) drew an intentional walk. A passed ball sent Lyons across home for a score, followed by a John Puttress (0-for-4, 1RBI) dribbler to third, which scored Foster to push NU's lead to 5-0.

Two more runs came across in the home half of the fourth for the Huskies, who kept piling on. Barbosa doubled deep to left center and Brad Burcroff (1-for-4, 2R, 1RBI) sent him home in the next at bat. After Vosler reached on an error, Lyons drove in yet another run on a fielder's choice, sending Burcroff across the plate, extending the Red and Black's insurmountable lead to 7-0.

In the top of the seventh, after Ferguson had successfully pitched a streak of 16 scoreless innings (dating back to the ninth of the William & Mary series), the CAA Preseason Player of the Year Jared Hammer sent a solo shot of his own over the wall in left center to put the Pride on the board. But Northeastern added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to put things out of reach. Barbosa reached on an infield single, advanced on a passed ball and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-1. Then Lyons fouled out to left, but Burcroff tagged on the sacrifice, pushing NU's lead to 9-1.

Ferguson allowed two runners in the top of the final frame with two outs, forcing a change as Brad McLean came on, but Pete Castoldi forced Brantley to run out of the basepath heading to third on a forceout to end the game, giving Northeastern its second conference series win in a row. The Huskies return to the diamond on Tuesday as they travel two hours south to Storrs, Conn., for a non conference showdown with Connecticut.