Box Score
BOSTON –
Dustin Hunt pitched seven scoreless innings and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts as the Northeastern baseball team completed its three-game sweep over Niagara with a 7-0 win on Sunday afternoon at Friedman Diamond.
Hunt (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 9 K) is the third-consecutive starting pitcher for Northeastern to set a career-best mark for strikeouts in a game.
Nick Berger struck out 11 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader while
Chris Carmain struck out eight in the second game.
The Huskies (7-8) opened the scoring in the fourth inning when
Sean Lyons (1-for-4, 2 R) singled to right field and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by
Brad Burcroff (2-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI).
Michael Foster (1-for-3, RBI, R) singled to right-center field on a full count as Lyons came around to score and give NU a 1-0 lead.
Jason Vosler (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI) followed with a single that moved Foster to third, and Vosler took second base on the throw.
Connor Lyons (1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, SB) took advantage of batting with a pair of runners in scoring position as he smacked a two-run single up the middle to push the Huskies' lead to 3-0.
The Purple Eagles put a runner on third base with one out in the third when Geoff Seto reached second on a dropped pop up by NU leftfielder
Shane Allen, and a sac bunt moved Seto 90 feet from home. However, Hunt induced a pair of groundballs that kept Niagara off the board.
The Husky defense flashed some leather in the sixth inning when right-fielder
Sean Lyons tracked down a fly ball in foul territory. The senior tri-captain sprinted toward the wall along the right-field line, made the grab, flipped over the wall, and landed on his feet on the other side. Niagara's next batter, Anthony Firenzi, hit a single and Joel Klock walked, but Hunt got Michael Fuhrman to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Burcroff increased the NU lead to 4-0 with an inside-the-park home run to centerfield in the sixth inning. The senior's third home run of the year was scorched over the charging centerfielder's head and Burcroff sprinted around the bases as the ball reached the 415-foot mark in center. The Huskies added one more run in the frame when
Connor Lyons was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Following a walk to
Jimmy Hand (0-for-3),
Shane Allen (1-for-4, RBI) singled to centerfield to score Lyons.
The Huskies added two more runs in the seventh inning when
Sean Lyons reached on an error and moved to third on Burcroff's infield single to short. Burcroff advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Vosler drove in both runners with a single to right field.
Nick Cubarney pitched two perfect innings of relief while striking out three for NU.
The Huskies continue their home schedule by hosting Brown on Wednesday, March 19, at 3 p.m.
Notables
• The Huskies completed their first three-game series sweep since March 29-31, 2013, against James Madison
• All three Northeastern starting pitchers this weekend set new career records for strikeouts in a game:
Nick Berger (11),
Chris Carmain, (8),
Dustin Hunt (9).
• The NU pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts in Sunday's win and 38 strikeouts through three games against Niagara.
.
