SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Northeastern Huskies (0-3) dropped their third straight game to open the 2026 season, falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) by a score of 21-13 in a wild Sunday afternoon affair at Salt River Fields to close out the MLB Desert Invitational.

Despite a 13-run, 13-hit offensive outburst -- including a massive six-run sixth inning -- the Huskies could not overcome a barrage of walks and wild pitches from the bullpen, as nine Northeastern arms combined to issue eight walks, hit seven batters, and throw 11 wild pitches in the loss. Senior Carmelo Musacchia continued his torrid start to the season, going 4-for-6 with three doubles and an RBI, while redshirt senior Harrison Feinberg tallied four RBIs.

• Northeastern wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Musacchia led off with a double, Ryan Gerety walked and both executed a double steal, and Feinberg singled home the first run of the game. Carter Bentley followed with an RBI single to center, and after another double steal and a walk, Eric Cha cleared the bases with a two-RBI single to center to chase Iowa's starter before he could record an out.
• Musacchia doubled again to lead off the second, advanced to third on a fly out, and scored on a Feinberg sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-0.
• Iowa answered with a run in the bottom of the second and then exploded for eight runs in the third, sending 13 batters to the plate. Six hits, a hit-by-pitch, and a Northeastern throwing error fueled the rally, giving the Hawkeyes a 9-6 lead.
• Will Fosberg kept the Huskies within striking distance with a solo home run down the right field line in the top of the third, his first of the season, to make it 9-6 heading into the bottom of the frame. It was the first Northeastern homer of 2026.
• The Hawkeyes tacked on six more in the fourth, highlighted by a pair of two-RBI singles and a stolen home during a walk, to blow the game open at 15-6.
• Trailing 17-6 in the sixth, Northeastern mounted its biggest rally of the young season, plating six runs to cut the deficit to five. Henry DiGiorgio drew a pinch-hit walk and Charlie Criscola singled to set the table. Musacchia delivered an RBI single to left, and after an Iowa pitching change, Gerety drew a bases-loaded walk. Feinberg then singled to right for an RBI, Bentley drew an RBI walk, and Cha was hit by a pitch to force in another run. After another Iowa pitching change, Cooper Tarantino greeted the new arm with a two-RBI single to left to cap the inning and make it 17-12.
• Iowa scored three in the bottom of the sixth without recording a hit, as a pair of wild pitches and a walk accounted for all three runs against Northeastern.
• Musacchia doubled for the third time in the game in the seventh, his fourth extra-base hit of the day, and came around to score on a Feinberg RBI groundout for Northeastern's final run.
• Angel Cruz tossed a scoreless eighth inning in relief, retiring all three batters he faced on just 12 pitches. Frese then set down the side in order in the ninth to close it out.
• Musacchia's three-double game gives him five extra-base hits through three games to open the season, as the senior has reached base in all three contests. He also swiped a base to give him four steals on the young year.