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BROOKLINE, Mass. – Backed by senior Nate Borges' career high, seven strikeouts, the Northeastern baseball team kept things competitive against Rhode Island on Wednesday afternoon at Friedman Diamond, despite the Huskies receiving a 7-3 defeat from the Rams.
 
Borges took the reigns from NU starting pitcher Sean Mellen during the heat of Rhode Island's five-run third inning, helping steer Northeastern (8-14) back on course. Upon facing runners at second and third base during the top of the fourth inning, the veteran right-hander went on to retire each of the next 11 batters he faced, ending his streak by striking out the URI side during the top of the seventh. He finished his five-inning relief outing having worked around five hits, all singles, while only walking one.
 
David Stiehl and Mike Driscoll combined to allow one base runner during the eighth and ninth innings as the Huskies' arms collectively flatlined the Rams' offense from the fourth inning on.
 
Coming off his first hitless outing during the month of March on Sunday, Max Burt enjoyed a two-for-four day at the plate. The junior shortstop put Northeastern on the scoreboard for the first time during the bottom of the fourth inning, cracking a two-RBI double through the gap in left center to reduce the Huskies' deficit to 7-2.
 
NU had to wait until the final inning before being able to chip a third run off Rhode Island (11-10). With Burt standing on third base, Cam Walsh fed a well-placed single up the middle, snapping the sophomore's nine-game stretch without an RBI.
 
Northeastern's outfielder corps came up big on Wednesday in keeping the Rams off the base paths. Despite Rhode Island's Matt O'Neil connecting on a two-RBI triple to dead center during the top of the first inning, the Huskies' relay crew of Mason Koppens, Burt, and Michael Geaslen successfully nabbed O'Neil at home plate as he was trying to leg out an inside-the-park homer. Later in the game, Walsh, Burt, and Ryan Solomon also caught the Rams' Mike Corin between second and third base while he was trying to extend his ninth-inning double.
 
Rhode Island rotated six pitchers throughout the duration of Wednesday's ballgame. Taso Stathopoulous received the winning decision courtesy of his two-inning start, having struck out Charlie McConnell, Koppens, and Cam Hanley, in order during the bottom of the first.
 
UP NEXT
 
Northeastern will resume CAA play on the road this weekend at Towson, beginning a three-game series at the Tigers' John B. Schuerholz Park on Friday, March 31. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.