Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
BOSTON – The Northeastern baseball team opened its home schedule by winning both ends of a doubleheader against Niagara on Saturday afternoon, 2-1 and 6-2. NU starting pitchers
Nick Berger and
Chris Carmain combined to throw 13 innings while allowing one earned run and striking out 19.
Game 1
Berger (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 11 K) tallied a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed just five hits through seven shutout innings to earn the win in his first decision of the season.
Jason Vosler's (1-for-3, 2 RBI) two-run single in the third inning was all the support the Husky pitching staff needed as three NU pitchers combined for a season-high 13 strikeouts without yielding an earned run.
Northeastern (6-8) loaded the bases in the third inning after both
Sean Lyons (1-for-1, R) and
Brad Burcroff (1-for-3, R) drew walks and
Michael Foster (0-for-2) was hit by a pitch with two outs. Vosler stepped to the plate and roped a single to centerfield to score Lyons and Burcroff and give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
The Purple Eagles (4-12) had a couple of chances to get on the board against Berger, but the junior RHP showed poise as he worked out of trouble. Niagara's Michael Fuhrman hit a one-out double in the fourth inning, but Berger induced an infield pop-up and then recorded his seventh strikeout of the game to get out of the frame.
Niagara got the leadoff hitter on base in the sixth inning when Anthony Firenzi reached base on an infield single, but a double play followed by Berger's 10th strikeout ended the Purple Eagles' half of the stanza. Niagara got its lone run in the eighth inning when Firenzi drew a walk and advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw by Burcroff, who was pitching in relief. Taylor Hacket's groundout to second base allowed Firenzi to score.
Foster pitched a hitless ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.
Game 2
Carmain (6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 8 K) posted a career-high eight strikeouts and allowed only one earned run through six innings to post his second win of the season.
The Huskies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when
Connor Lyons (3-for-5, 3 R, RBI) reached base on an infield single and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Burcroff (0-for-2, R). Vosler (0-for-3) followed with a groundball to first base, but the Niagara first baseman threw the ball away to the pitcher covering first, allowing Lyons to score.
NU gained a comfortable lead with a three-run second inning when
Sean Lyons (0-for-3, R) and
Josh Treff (0-for-1, R) drew consecutive walks. With two outs on the board,
Connor Lyons hit an infield single to second base and the speedy
Sean Lyons rounded third and slid into home to give NU a 2-0 lead. Following a walk to Burcroff, Foster hit a two-run single to leftfield, pushing the Huskies' lead to 4-0.
Niagara got on the board when Fuhrman hit a solo home run to right field in the third inning, and the Purple Eagles made it a 4-2 game in the sixth inning when Firenzi collected an RBI by hitting into a fielder's choice that scored Jordan Schwartz.
The Huskies quickly regained a four-run lead in the seventh inning when
Connor Lyons reached second base after the Niagara centerfielder dropped a pop-up. Burcroff reached base by drawing a walk, and Foster drove in both runners with a triple to deep centerfield.
Isaac Lippert allowed just one hit and struck out five through three scoreless innings in relief to pick up his first save of the season.
The Huskies and Purple Eagles conclude their three-game series on Sunday, March 16, at noon.
Notables
• The NU pitching staff struck out 13 batters in both games, which stands as a season-high mark and matches last year's season-best total.
•
Nick Berger's 11 strikeouts are the most by a Northeastern pitcher since
Kevin Ferguson struck out 11 against Towson on May 18, 2013.
•
Michael Foster's four RBI in the second game ties a career high.
•
Connor Lyons had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in the first game.
•
Connor Lyons' three runs in the second game ties a career-high and has scored three runs in three different games this year.
• Northeastern's five errors in the second game are a season-high and the most since May 5, 2012, at Hofstra (six errors).
.
