TUCSON, Ariz. – It came down to the final inning, but No. 23 Northeastern (1-1) picked up its first win of the season, defeating Arizona (1-1) by a score of 8-7 on Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett field.
A back-and-forth contest, where both teams led for several innings, came down to the top of the ninth inning with
Alex Lane belting Northeastern's first home run of the season, a one-out solo shot over the left-center field wall, and a shutdown inning from reliever
Michael Gemma to notch NU's first win of the 2024 campaign.
- The Huskies once again plated runners in the opening frame as Luke Beckstein led off the game with another game-opening base hit. He was scored by Alex Lane on an RBI single through the right side to lead 1-0.
- With two outs, Carmelo Musacchia hit a booming double off the right field wall, scoring Lane and Tyler MacGregor, who had reached on catcher's interference, to lead 3-0.
- Arizona plated one run in response in the home half of the first, but the Northeastern defense held the 3-1 lead after one.
- Neither side could manage anything offensively until the fifth frame – Arizona loaded the bases twice to score five, to lead 6-3 going into the sixth.
- The Huskies cut the deficit to one run with a two-out rally in the top of the seventh. The trio of Jack Doyle, Beckstein, and Sirota earned a base knock, a HBP, and a walk respectively and Tyler MacGregor hit a huge double scoring Doyle and Beckstein. The rally would end there with the Wildcats leading 6-5.
- Northeastern notched a shutdown inning in the home half of the seventh and retook the lead in the eighth. Base hits from Musacchia and Harrison Feinberg, and a walk to pinch-hitter Jimmy Sullivan loaded the bases for a two-out single for Beckstein, scoring two to retake the lead at 7-6.
- Arizona tied the game up 7-7 on an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.
- In the top of the ninth it was Lane delivering a one-out home run to retake the lead for good, a towering shot over the left-center field wall, clearing the 410' marker, which counted as Northeastern's first long ball of the season.
- NU starter Dennis Colleran produced three shutout innings in the early game, ending the day in the fifth allowing five runs on six hits – he notched three strikeouts and one walk in his first appearance since the 2022 season.
- Making his Northeastern debut in relief was grad. transfer Aidan Tucker – he worked a full inning with just one run on two hits – he walked two and struck out two out of the seven batters he faced.
- Jake Gigliotti had a solid relief outing in the sixth and seventh innings, delivering two shutout innings allowing just two hits and a walk.
- Getting the win was Michael Gemma who took over in the eighth inning needing the final out and inducing a fly-out. He worked the final 1.1 allowing no runs and no hits. He notched one strike out to open the ninth and his infield ended the contest with a 4-6-3 double play.
- The win was Gemma's third of his career, his second in relief, for a 3-0 career record.
- It's the programs first win over Arizona in its third try. The Huskies came into the game 0-2 against the Wildcats, with the loss on Friday and their first meeting coming in the 1966 College World Series.
The rubber match of the series takes place on Sunday, February 18 at 12 p.m. MST (2 p.m. EST) at Hi Corbett. The game will stream for free on Pac12 Plus at Pac12.com.
