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WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jimmy Hand's two-run homer during the top of the fourth inning shattered the Northeastern baseball team's 2-2 tie with fifth-seeded College of Charleston and foreshadowed the top-seeded Huskies' four-run sixth inning as NU survived its first CAA tournament elimination test with an 8-5 victory on Friday against the Cougars.
 
With the win, Northeastern (29-24) earned placement into the tournament's next elimination game, Game 9, which was postponed from Friday at 9:30 p.m. to Saturday at 1 p.m. after Friday's early games had run late. The Huskies' game against No. 2 UNCW will air live at that time on the American Sports Network, with the winner advancing to the championship round to face No. 4 Delaware.
 
Hand, who went two-for-four with a homer and a double, finished the night as one of four NU players to log multiple hits, joining teammates Scott Holzwasser (two-for-five), Max Burt (two-for-five), and Pat Madigan (two-for-four). Together, Northeastern effectively outhit the Cougars, 12-6, while also doubling up its opponent in extra-base hits, 4-2.
 
NU went straight to work offensively during the top of the first inning. Charlie McConnell drew a leadoff walk against the Charleston starter, Clay Hunt, and proceeded to leg out two bases on the single Holzwasser dropped in left center field. McConnell completed the final 90 feet of his journey on Cam Hanley's sacrifice fly to left, which merited a throw home but gave Northeastern a 1-0 advantage.
 
College of Charleston (28-31) answered the Huskies immediately and in a similar fashion, capitalizing on McConnell's errant throw from third base that put the Cougars' leadoff man, Dupree Hart, aboard. Two batters later, Tommy Richter moved Hart from first to third on a single, positioning runners at the corners. Logan McRae then slapped an RBI groundout to the left side before Erven Roper plated Richter on an RBI single.
 
The Cougars' 2-1 lead did not last for long as Northeastern came roaring back during the top of the second. Burt led off the inning with a first-pitch single and was put in motion on back-to-back singles by Madigan and Michael Geaslen, the latter of which scored Burt to level the game at 2-2.
 
Much like his second-inning at-bat, Burt came through with another first-pitch single to lead off the fourth inning, setting the stage for Hand to bury a two-run homer over the right field fence. Madigan followed with a double to center field before Geaslen drew a four-pitch walk, marking the end of the line for Hunt and allowing Northeastern access to Charleston's bullpen.
 
Bradley Dixon did Nate Borges in for his first earned run of the ballgame during the bottom of the fourth, trimming the Huskies' 4-2 lead to 4-3 courtesy of a solo home run. Borges limited Charleston to five total hits during his six-and-one-third inning outing, striking out four while walking four and allowing four runs, only two of which were earned.
 
Northeastern regained a two-run lead during the top of the sixth, when a walk, a pair of wild pitches, and a poor throw by the Cougars' reliever, Justin Baker, allowed Hand to score. On the very next pitch, McConnell laced a single past the diving Charleston right fielder, but a base running miscue nearly caused the Huskies to be caught between the bags. Luckily, the Cougars' third error of the game allowed Madigan to score before Holzwasser unleashed a two-RBI double down the left field line, giving Northeastern an 8-3 edge.
 
Charleston added runs during the seventh and ninth innings, although Tyler Brown managed to send the Cougars packing, having surrendered only one hit during his two and two-thirds innings of relief.
 
Northeastern is one of the final three teams remaining at the CAA tournament for the second time in program history (2013).