Baseball's seven doubles shadowed by UNCW in tourney loss

Cam Hanley tied a CAA tournament single-game record with three doubles against No. 2 UNCW on Thursday

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MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – Despite scoring seven runs on 13 hits Thursday evening, No. 3 Northeastern had difficulty countering a 16-run showing by No. 2 UNCW as the Seahawks topped the Huskies, 16-7, in the CAA tournament winner's bracket semifinal.

With the loss, the Huskies will play in an elimination game on Friday, May 22, at either 10 a.m. (if No. 4 Elon defeats No. 1 College of Charleston on Thursday night), or at 5 p.m. (if No. 1 College of Charleston defeats No. 4 Elon). Northeastern's next opponent will either be No. 4 Elon or No. 5 Delaware, depending on the results from Thursday's night game between the Cougars and the Phoenix.

NU tied a CAA tournament single-game record by hitting seven doubles as a team, including three by Cam Hanley and two by Michael Foster. Hanley's three doubles also tie a CAA tournament single-game record as the third baseman finished the day going three-for-four with two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk.

Sophomore Gabe Levanti continued his hot start to the postseason by adding another two hits. Through two tournament games, Levanti has gone five-for-nine from the plate with three doubles, two runs scored, and one RBI.

Michael Foster notched three hits to pace the Huskies out of the lead-off spot in the batting order, scoring twice, collecting two RBIs, and stealing his 10th bag of the year. Outfielder Joey Scambia picked up two hits, including a double, while catcher Josh Treff went one-for-three with a run scored and an RBI. Treff also posted his third sacrifice bunt of the tournament during the top of the second.

UNCW (37-16, 18-6 CAA) scored early and often against sophomore Dustin Hunt, scoring nine runs on 10 hits during the first three innings of the game. Fellow sophomore Nate Borges relieved Hunt with two outs in the bottom of the third and surrendered just one run during 3.0 innings before the Seahawks exploded for five more runs in the seventh. Tyler Robinson ended the day on the hill for Northeastern (25-29, 14-10 CAA), striking out two and recording the final four outs for the NU bullpen.

Luke Dunlap homered twice against the Huskies and netted five RBIs, while teammate Casey Golden went three-for-six with three RBIs, a stolen base, and a run scored. Eight different UNCW batters finished the game with two or more hits, while reliever Whitman Barners improved to 5-0 this season with the victory.

Northeastern set the tone early during the very first at-bat of the game as Michael Foster doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third shortly after on a wild pitch. Keith Kelly proceeded to groundout to second, allowing Michael Foster to score to give NU a 1-0 lead.

UNCW jumped back in front of the Huskies in the second as Dunlap hit a two-run blast to right field after Corey Dick had reached on an error. Two walks issued by Hunt to Terence Connelly and Kennard McDowell placed two runners on base for the Seahawks, and a pair of singles by Zach Shields and Golden widened UNCW's lead to 4-1.

After a lead-off single by Michael Foster in the third, Hanley followed two consecutive NU strikeouts with an RBI double down the left-field line that brought the Huskies to within two runs at 4-2. The Seahawks, however, extended their advantage courtesy of a five-run third inning that put the Huskies in a seven-run deficit at 9-2.

Northeastern would respond in the top of the fourth as Levanti followed a walk by Treff and a single by Scambia with an RBI double that made the score, 9-3. Although Scambia would end up being caught in a run down between third and home, Michael Foster smoked a two-RBI double to left field that cleared the bases and trimmed the Seahawks' lead to 9-5.

NU would pull to within three runs at 9-6 in the fifth with the help of two doubles by Hanley and Scambia. Borges would strike out four UNCW batters before conceding a run in the sixth, but a three-run home run by Dunlap in the bottom of the seventh capped a five-run inning that saw the Seahawks build a 15-6 advantage.

Trailing UNCW, 16-6, in the ninth, the Huskies rallied for one run following a lead-off double by Hanley and back-to-back singles by Matt Cook, the first of his career, and Treff.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Nate Borges: RHP; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Michael Foster: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#10 Cam Hanley: 3B; 5' 11"; Sophomore; L/R

#45 Dustin Hunt: RHP; 6' 5"; Sophomore; R/R

#4 Keith Kelly: INF; 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior; L/R

#3 Gabe Levanti: C; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#9 Joey Scambia: C; 5' 9"; Sophomore; L/R

#28 Josh Treff: C; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#36 Ty Robinson: LHP; 6' 2"; Freshman; L/L

#37 Matt Cook: RHP; 6' 4"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#2 Nate Borges
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#12 Michael Foster
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: INF

#10 Cam Hanley
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; L/R
: 3B

#45 Dustin Hunt
: 6' 5"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#4 Keith Kelly
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior; L/R
: INF

#3 Gabe Levanti
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: C

#9 Joey Scambia
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; L/R
: C

#28 Josh Treff
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: C

#36 Ty Robinson
: 6' 2"; Freshman; L/L
: LHP

#37 Matt Cook
: 6' 4"; Senior; R/R
: RHP