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BROOKLINE, Mass. – Senior Nick Berger threw a season-high 10 strikeouts during 7.0 scoreless innings on Friday afternoon against NYIT as the Northeastern baseball team shutout the Bears, 7-0, during the opening game of a three-game, non-conference set.
 
The Huskies' offense bounced back from a 5-1 weekday defeat at Quinnipiac on Wednesday by pounding out double-digit hits for the first time since March 31 against Rhode Island. Seven different NU players recorded at least one hit during the day, while each member of the Huskies' lineup reached base at least once by game's end.
 
Berger's total of 10 strikeouts are the most the Northeastern co-captain has thrown since May 21, 2014, when he fanned 10 James Madison hitters during a CAA tournament game. During his last two starts, the right-hander from Commack, New York, has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings, striking out 15, walking two, and allowing no extra-base hits. His season ERA has dipped nearly a full point as well, from 3.73 on April 3 to 2.88 on Friday.
 
Pat Madigan led the Huskies with a three-for-five outing at the plate, collecting three RBIs and scoring once. First baseman Cam Hanley smoked a two-RBI triple down the right-field line during the first inning that drove in Madigan and teammate Michael Foster, who finished the day two-for-three with two walks, and an RBI.
 
Northeastern (15-21, 7-5 CAA) stole a season-high four bases on Friday, two of which were done so by catcher Josh Treff. The redshirt-junior finished the game going one-for-four but registered an RBI on top of walking once. Foster and Madigan each picked up a stolen base on a double-steal play in the first.
 
Second baseman Keith Kelly scored twice and went one-for-three on the day while Maxwell Burt singled and eventually scored during a three-run, eighth-inning rally.
 
NYIT (8-16) managed to swing just four hits off Berger, Aaron Civale, and Nick Cubarney during the afternoon. Third baseman Louis Mele netted two of the Bears' hits while starting pitcher Matt Diaz allowed three runs on six hits in 6.0 innings, striking out six NU batters.
 
Despite surrendering a two-out single to Mele during the top of the first, Berger pitched flawlessly during the first three innings of the game. After striking out NYIT catcher Nick Sebastian to end the first, Berger retired the next nine straight Bears hitters, picking up three more strikeouts in the process.
 
Foster and Madigan jumpstarted the NU offense in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles and both runners would ultimately move up a base during the next at-bat on a successful double-steal. Hanley proceeded to send a 3-2 pitch down the right-field line, roling all the way to the corner of the outfield for a two-RBI triple that put the Huskies in front, 2-0.
 
NU had chances to build on its lead by putting runners on second base during both the third and fourth innings, despite the Huskies being unsuccessful in bringing those runners around to score. Foster singled in the third and advanced to second on a groundout by Rob Fonseca, while Treff walked and stole second in the bottom of the fourth before Lang and Burt were both retired.
 
Berger raised his strikeout count up to eight by fanning the NYIT side during the top of the fifth, and the senior would put the Bears away in order once again in the sixth. Following a lead-off single by Fonseca in the bottom half of the sixth, the Northeastern designated hitter advanced to second on a ground out by Joey Scambia, and came into score later that frame on an RBI single by Treff, giving NU a 3-0 lead.
 
Although NYIT would bring the tying run to the plate in the seventh, Berger retired Michael Iglesias and Robert Fiato, back-to-back, ending the visiting team's rally. After Kelly and Foster both reached base for NU on a single and a walk combination, Madigan booted a ball to center field, scoring Kelly from second base to increase Northeastern's lead to 4-0.
 
Following a bases-loaded walk issued to Foster in the bottom of the eighth, Madigan came through again and doubled down the left-field line, allowing Kelly and Burt to score easily to make it 7-0, Northeastern. Aaron Civale and Nick Cubarney combined to give up just one hit during the final two innings of the game as the two NU pitchers and Berger earned the combined shutout.
 
Northeastern will host NYIT for game two of this weekend's non-conference series on Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m. Dustin Hunt (3-3, 4.72 ERA) will start on the mound for the Huskies.