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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – Back-to-back home runs by Max Burt and Ryan Solomon had the Northeastern baseball team out to an early, 2-0 lead against College of Charleston on Saturday afternoon, despite the Cougars coming back from behind to upend the Huskies, 5-4, during the second game of the two teams' weekend series at The Ballpark at Patriots Point.
 
After going three-for-four during Friday's opener, Burt picked up where he had left off, carrying Griffin McLarty's second pitch of the second inning over the wall in left center to provide Northeastern (18-13, 5-3 CAA) with its first lead of the series. Two pitches later, Solomon joined in the long ball theatrics, pummeling a no-doubt homer to left field to double the Huskies' lead.
 
Burt's homer marked the first of his senior season and first since May 12, 2017, at William & Mary, while Solomon's moved the junior third baseman and designated hitter back into a tie with Jake Farrell for the team lead (five).
 
NU starting pitcher Brian Christian did well while trying to keep runs off the scoreboard, despite College of Charleston (27-9, 9-2 CAA) swinging multiple hits off the right-hander during each of the first three innings.
 
Christian received help from the Huskies' defense, which combated the Cougars' aggressive base running by turning three of the game's first four outs between the bags. John Mazza caught Luke Morgan while trying to steal third base during the bottom of the first inning, while Burt and Mason Koppens both assisted on respective 6-2 and 8-5 putouts that prevented Charleston runners from advancing and in Burt's case, scoring.
 
Ari Sechopoulos led off the Cougars' three-run and four-hit third inning with his solo homer to right field. Three batters later, Logan McRae followed with a double that put a pair of runners in scoring position for the Cougars, both of which would come home during Danny Wondrack's ensuing RBI groundout and Clay Hunt's RBI single.
 
Koppens led the Huskies' comeback cause during the top of the fifth inning, knocking a leadoff single to right field before taking second base on a two-out wild pitch. Farrell battled back from a 1-2 count to earn a walk off McLarty, setting the stage for Burt to drive the game-tying single to right center.
 
With the game knotted at 3-3, Northeastern came out firing during the sixth inning. Scott Holzwasser and Kyle Peterson sandwiched the Cougars' pitching change with consecutive singles before Michael Geaslen bunted both runners into scoring position. Running on contact, Holzwasser scored on Koppens' RBI fielder's choice, supplying the Huskies with the 4-3 lead.
 
Charleston tied the game immediately during the bottom of the sixth inning, sprinkling three singles around three Andrew Misiaszek strikeouts. Manzo singled home Wondrack out of a two-out, runners-on-the-corners situation.
 
Both teams remained deadlocked at 4-4 until late during the eighth inning, when Dupree Hart put the Cougars ahead, 5-4, with his two-out, RBI base hit that had scored Manzo from second base.
 
Koppens led off the NU ninth inning with a single, but was left stranded at first base as Nathan Ocker collected three successive outs to cap his four-inning victory.
 
Despite receiving the loss, Misiaszek tied his career strikeout high (six) for the third time.
 
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Northeastern and College of Charleston will conclude their weekend CAA series on Sunday, April 15, at 11 a.m. (previously 1 p.m.). First pitch has been moved up to accommodate potential weather in the Mount Pleasant area.