Box Score | Season Stats

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Pitchers Nick Berger and Mike Fitzgerald combined to allow a season-low two hits on Friday afternoon against Hofstra as the Northeastern baseball team defeated the Pride, 5-1, to take the opening game of the three-game series.
 
With the victory, the Huskies remain undefeated in home conference games this season at 7-0 and have also won nine of their last 11 games at Friedman Diamond. Northeastern (18-22, 8-5 CAA) also raised its league winning percentage above .600 where the Huskies continue to jockey for position among the top five spots in the CAA.
 
Berger's scoreless streak came to an end at 18.2 consecutive innings on Friday during the top of the fourth, but the co-captain managed to not allow an earned run for his third straight start. The senior ace lowered his season ERA to 2.66 while tossing three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Reliever Mike Fitzgerald earned his fourth save of the year after not surrendering a hit during 3.2 innings out of the bullpen.
 
Center fielder Michael Foster led NU with two doubles and a single, going three-for-five from the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored. Cam Hanley went one-for-three with a double out of the cleanup spot, while Keith Kelly collected three RBIs and a stolen base on two walks and a single.
 
For the second consecutive game, Northeastern had six or more players record at least one hit. Nolan Lang went one-for-two with a double and a run scored, while Maxwell Burt went one-for-four with a single.
 
Bowie Matteson conceded five runs, four earned, during 7.0 innings on the mound for Hofstra (15-23, 3-13 CAA), walking six, striking out four, and allowing seven hits. Mat Annunziata pounded out the only two hits of the game for the Pride during his first two at-bats, including a double hit during the third inning.
 
Hofstra threatened to break Berger's scoreless innings streak during the top of the first after Annunziata singled to left field before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. After a walk to Brad Witkowski put runners on the corners with one out, Burt initiated a 6-4-3 double play on a grounder by Dalton Rouleau that ended the inning and kept the Pride off the scoreboard.
 
With Kelly on base following a walk in the bottom of the inning, Hanley doubled to right center, putting two runners in scoring position for Northeastern. Hofstra elected to load the bases by intentionally walking Rob Fonseca, but Burt's ground ball could not find its way out of the infield, keeping the game scoreless.
 
NU regained its offensive form in the bottom of the third when M. Foster beat out a ground ball to shortstop, hitting the first-base bag just before the throw hit the back of Brian MacDonald's glove. Matteson's pick off throw to first base bounced three feet short of MacDonald and skipped away to the wall, allowing M. Foster to take off for second and ultimately advance to third. The Huskies soon took a 1-0 lead on Kelly's sacrifice fly to deep center.
 
Hofstra would tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth after Treff's throw to catch Witkowki stealing rolled into the outfield, causing the Pride runner to take off for third base. Witkowski scored during the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly by David Leiderman.
 
With runners on first and second for the Huskies during the bottom of the fourth, M. Foster doubled down the left-field line, bringing Treff around to score to put NU ahead, 2-1. Kelly proceeded to hit a single to the right-center field gap that scored Lang and M. Foster, giving Northeastern a 4-1 advantage.
 
The Huskies' defense would turn two more double plays during the back half of the game. Kelly stepped on second base in the top of the fifth before throwing to Fonseca at first for the inning-ending, 4-3 double play, while Treff picked off Rouleau at first base after Leiderman struck out, swinging.
 
M. Foster's second double of the game scored Joey Scambia from second base in the bottom of the sixth, tacking on another insurance run that left Northeastern in front, 5-1. Berger and Fitzgerald would combine to not surrender a hit during the final six innings of the game.
 
Northeastern will look to stay undefeated at home in CAA games with a 1 p.m. contest against Hofstra on Saturday, April 25. The Huskies will send Dustin Hunt (4-3, 4.78 ERA) out to face the Pride's Alec Eisenberg (3-3, 6.69 ERA).