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HARRISONBURG, Va. – Charlie McConnell's RBI single during the first at-bat that followed the completion of a 93-minute inclement weather delay gifted the top-seeded Northeastern baseball team its eventual 3-2 winning margin against fourth-seeded UNCW during Saturday's first championship round game at the 2018 CAA tournament, forcing the winner-take-all second title game on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
 
Neighboring storms around Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park halted play at 12:46 p.m. with Mason Koppens aboard at first base, having drawn a two-out walk off Luke Gesell. Upon the resumption of play at 2:19 p.m., Koppens stole second base against the Seahawks' incoming reliever, Logan Beehler, setting the stage for McConnell to break the two teams' 2-2 tie with his base hit through the right side of the infield.
 
Northeastern (36-18) celebrated its program record, 36th overall win during Saturday's championship opener, surpassing the 35-win campaigns of the school's 1991 and 1994 teams.
 
Making his first start of the 2018 season, Kyle Murphy pitched beautifully, despite surrendering a solo home run to Ryan Jeffers during the second at-bat of the game. Murphy responded to Jeffers' homer by retiring 15 consecutive batters, striking out seven across his six-inning outing while allowing just two hits.
 
Jake Farrell came to Murphy's aid during the bottom of the third inning, hooking a two-run home run around the left field foul pole to provide NU with its first lead at 2-1. Two batters earlier, McConnell had muscled a one-out triple down the right field line, but was thrown out at the plate while Ian Fair reached on a fielder's choice.
 
Jeffers knotted the game at 2-2 during the top of the sixth inning, finding the gap in right center with his RBI double that scored Noah Bridges. UNCW (36-21) proceeded to load the bases against Murphy during the same inning, but the NU arm escaped, inducing an inning-ending, first-pitch pop up to Kep Brown.
 
Brandon Dufault relieved Murphy at the start of the seventh inning, tossing the game's final three frames. Dufault closed both the seventh and ninth innings with back-to-back strikeouts, ending the game by earning eight consecutive outs across the hour-and-a-half weather delay.
 
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Northeastern will pursue its first-ever CAA postseason title during Saturday's decisive tournament finale, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. First pitch had been moved back to accommodate afternoon storms moving through the Harrisonburg area.