PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Northeastern Huskies (0-1) dropped the 2026 season opener to Grand Canyon, 10-0, in seven innings at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark on Friday night in the MLB Desert Invitational. It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
The Huskies managed just four hits on the night and were held scoreless for the first time since a March 2025 loss at Boston College, as a difficult first inning on the mound put Northeastern in an early hole it could not climb out of.
 

• Grand Canyon jumped on the Huskies early in the bottom of the first, plating four runs on an RBI double to right center, an RBI groundout, and back-to-back RBI hit-by-pitches to take control before the first inning was over.
• Georgetown transfer Matthew Sapienza entered in relief and stranded the three inherited base runners to end the first-inning threat. Sapienza worked 3.0 innings total, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out four batters in his Northeastern debut.
• Joseph Hauser took over in the fifth and worked the final 2.1 innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with four strikeouts.
• Ryan Gerety provided the lone extra-base hit for Northeastern, lacing a double to deep left field in the first inning, but was stranded at second. Carmelo Musacchia, Eric Cha, and Carter Bentley each added singles for the Huskies' four hits.
• The Huskies were shut out for just the second time in the last 180 games, after suffering their first shutout in 140 games last season on March 19, 2025 loss at Boston College.
• It was the first-ever meeting between Northeastern and Grand Canyon. The Huskies have now dropped their season opener in back-to-back years after also falling in the 2025 opener at Charlotte, and are just 1-5 since 2020 on opening day.

 
The Huskies continue the MLB Desert Invitational on Saturday, February 14th against Nebraska at 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, streaming on MLB.tv.