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ELON, N.C. – Pairing its high-octane offense with one of its strongest defensive showings of the 2017 season, the Northeastern baseball team rolled over Elon, 9-2, on Friday night, never trailing during both teams' CAA opener at Latham Park.
 
Seven of Northeastern's 10 hits were generated from the second through fourth spots of the Huskies' batting order. Mason Koppens and Jake Farrell sandwiched identical, two-for-five evenings at the plate around Cam Hanley's three-for-five night that included a seventh-inning, two-run homer.
 
Defensively, NU turned three double plays, equating to a season high, while the Huskies recorded 24 outs between Elon's first- and ninth-inning scoring plays.
 
For the fourth time this season, Mike Fitzgerald had the luxury of beginning his start with the lead after Northeastern (8-11, 1-0 CAA) had scored three runs during the top of the first, capitalizing on four consecutive one-out singles. Despite coughing a run back to the Phoenix during the bottom of the inning, Fitzgerald proceeded to string together five straight hitless frames, keeping Elon (9-13, 0-1 CAA) off the scoreboard through the remainder of his outing. He finished his line having scattered four hits, struck out five, and walked three across six and one-third innings on the hill.
 
Upon relieving Fitzgerald during the bottom of the seventh, NU rookie Brian Rodriguez struck out each of the first three batters he faced, preserving the Huskies' 9-1 lead throughout the entirety of his time on the mound. Friday's outing marked the ninth consecutive in which Rodriguez did not allow an earned run.
 
Will Jahn tossed the ninth inning for Northeastern, racking up two strikeouts despite surrendering a solo home run to Elon's Shawn Blake.
 
Max Burt participated in the Huskies' first-inning hit parade, successfully extending his hitting streak to 12 games on an RBI knock through the left side. Burt added a second RBI on a sacrifice fly during the top of the third inning that gave the visitors a 4-1 advantage.
 
NU took a 5-1 lead during the top of the fourth on Charlie McConnell's RBI fielder's choice, while the Huskies scored two runs during the top of the sixth on a balk followed shortly after by a wild pitch.
 
UP NEXT
 
Northeastern will continue its three-game, league-opening series with Elon on Saturday, March 25, at 4 p.m.