Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Infographic (Game 1) | Infographic (Game 2)

CINCINNATI – Having to come from behind during both games of Saturday's doubleheader against Cincinnati, the Northeastern baseball team split an entertaining twin billing at Marge Schott Stadium, winning game one, 6-3, in 12 innings before being defeated, 10-8, during game two.
 
Weather conditions had originally postponed Friday's series opener, prompting the two programs to play the first and second segments of the three-game series on Saturday.
 
 
GAME ONE: Northeastern 6, Cincinnati 3 (12 innings)
 
Falling behind, 3-0, by the end of the second inning, Northeastern stayed the course against the Bearcats, utilizing a pair of three-run rallies during the seventh and 12th innings to turn the tables late on Cincinnati.
 
The Huskies received 12 quality innings out of their three arms: Mike Fitzgerald, Brian Rodriguez, and Tyler Robinson.
 
Fitzgerald scattered four hits and struck out six batters during his seven-inning start, which stands as the redshirt-senior's longest career outing. Despite the Bearcats scoring each of their three runs on Fitzgerald's watch, the NU ace was charged with only one earned run as his season ERA dipped by more than a point.
 
Rodriguez carried Northeastern into extra innings, tossing three strikeouts during four frames while maintaining his 0.00 season ERA through the duration of his eighth relief appearance of the season. Robinson took the hill to protect the Huskies' 6-3 lead in the bottom of the 12th, benefitting from his defense's game-ending, 6-4-3 double play to notch his third save of the year.
 
Together, the trio of NU pitchers combined to yield 10 strikeouts and 11 scoreless innings, including 10 in a row from the bottom of the third inning through the bottom of the 12th.
 
Zach Perry's first-inning single and Charlie McConnell's second-inning double stood as Northeastern's only two hits of the game before Max Burt drove a leadoff double down the left-field line to begin the NU seventh. Two batters later, Nolan Lang laced an RBI single to right field that scored Burt easily from third base, before Scott Holzwasser and John Mazza pounded back-to-back RBI doubles to knot the game at 3-3.
 
Stranding the bases loaded in the eighth, Northeastern again went hitless until the top of the 12th inning, when Cam Hanley sparked a one-out rally with a single through the right side. Following Zach Perry's double that moved Hanley into scoring position, Cincinnati elected to intentionally walk Burt and load the bases for McConnell, who had one hit during his previous five at-bats. The Bearcats' gamble worked to no avail as McConnell slapped an RBI single through the left side, two batters before Holzwasser knocked two more runs home on a base hit to left field.
 
Northeastern's game one victory marked the second time this season in which the Huskies won the opening game of a doubleheader in extra innings. Previously, NU had defeated North Florida, 7-6, in 10 innings during the first game of the two team's Feb. 25 doubleheader.
 
 
GAME TWO: Cincinnati 10, Northeastern 8
 
Trimming a five-run deficit down to two, Northeastern was unable to chase down Cincinnati during the late innings of game two as the Bearcats prevailed, 10-8, to salvage a split of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
The Huskies started game two much like how they had ended game one, moving the bats to the tune of a three-run first inning. Mason Koppens smacked the first-pitch of the game into right field, advancing a base during each of Northeastern's next two at-bats. With the bases loaded, Ryan Solomon delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, two batters before Holzwasser punched a two-RBI single to third base.
 
Michael Geaslen backed up starting pitcher Kyle Murphy during the top of the fourth inning, blasting his first career home run to right field and widening the Huskies' lead to 4-1. However, Cincinnati would rally for four runs off Murphy during the bottom of the inning, taking a 5-4 edge on Kyle Mottice's RBI double.
 
The Bearcats would strike for four more runs again during the bottom of the sixth inning, orchestrating a two-out rally against NU reliever Nate Borges. Eric Santiago cracked an RBI single up the middle that scored Treg Haberkorn from third base, before consecutive home runs by Mottice (two-run) and A.J. Bumpass put the home team in front, 9-4.
 
Northeastern would chip two runs off its five-run deficit during the top of the seventh inning as the Huskies immediately loaded the bases on two walks and a single by Burt. Despite not recording a hit, NU scored once on Solomon's second RBI sacrifice fly of the game and again on McConnell's bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
 
Loading the bases once more during the top of the ninth, the Huskies scored two runs with no outs after the Bearcats' pitcher overthrew the force out at home on a routine fielder's choice. After Geaslen and Koppens were both retired on strikes, Perry drew a two-out walk, loading the bases again. With the tying run at second base, Hanley lifted a fly ball to left field, where the Huskies' rally came to an unfortunate conclusion.
 

UP NEXT
 
Northeastern and Cincinnati will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m. With a victory, the Huskies will claim their first multi-game series victory of the 2017 season.