LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The Northeastern Huskies rallied from a six-run deficit and pulled within a run in the bottom of the ninth, but No. 14 Arkansas held on for a 10-9 victory on Sunday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark, eliminating the Huskies from the NCAA Lawrence Regional and ending their season at 39-22.
Northeastern trailed 8-4 entering the bottom of the seventh and 10-6 heading into the ninth, but the Huskies refused to go quietly. A pinch-hit, two-RBI double from Will Fosberg and an RBI single from Henry DiGiorgio cut the lead to 10-9 in the ninth before Arkansas brought in its closer to record the final out with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. The Razorbacks (41-21) hit four home runs on the afternoon, including two in the seventh and two more in the ninth, to hold off a Northeastern lineup that collected 14 hits and kept fighting all game long.
- Cooper Maher made his second start of the postseason and delivered five solid innings, allowing four runs — only two earned — on five hits with six strikeouts. A throwing error in the fourth opened the door for a three-run inning that put Arkansas ahead 3-0, with two of the three runs unearned.
- The Huskies got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Gerety singled to right and AJ Aschettino singled up the middle to put runners at first and third. Charlie Criscola reached on a fielding error that scored Gerety to make it 3-1.
- Arkansas added another run in the fifth on an RBI single to extend the lead to 4-1. Left fielder Carter Bentley limited the damage with a strong throw home on the hit that cut down the lead runner trying to score Arkansas's fifth.
- Northeastern stormed back to tie the game in the sixth. Matt Brinker crushed a 423-foot solo homer to deep center to cut the lead to 4-2. After an Aschettino walk and a fielding error loaded the bases, DiGiorgio singled to left-center to score Aschettino and make it 4-3. Carter Bentley followed with an RBI single through the left side to tie it at four.
- The tie was short-lived. Arkansas erupted for four runs in the seventh on a pair of two-run home runs to take an 8-4 lead.
- Northeastern cut the lead to 8-6 in the bottom of the seventh. Brinker singled to right to start the rally, and Aschettino launched a 377-foot, two-run homer to deep left — his sixth of the season and second of the postseason — to pull the Huskies within two.
- David McSweeney worked a scoreless eighth to keep the Huskies in the game, but Arkansas added two more solo home runs in the top of the ninth to push the lead to 10-6.
- The Huskies mounted one final charge in the bottom of the ninth. Gerety singled and moved to second on defensive indifference. Aschettino walked, and a Criscola fielder's choice moved Gerety to third. Fosberg, entering the game as a pinch-hitter, battled through a nine-pitch at-bat before lacing a double to right field that scored Gerety and Criscola to make it 10-8. DiGiorgio followed with an RBI single to left to score Fosberg and cut it to 10-9.
- Arkansas brought in its closer, who walked Bentley to put runners at first and second with one out. A fly out to left with the tying runner on second ended the game and the Huskies' season.
- Aschettino led the Huskies with a 3-for-3 day that included the two-run homer, two walks, two runs scored, and two RBIs. He finished the regional hitting .545 (6-for-11) with a .615 on-base percentage, the best mark among Northeastern hitters.
- Fosberg's pinch-hit double was one of the biggest at-bats of the season — trailing by four with two outs in the ninth, he worked the count full and fouled off four pitches before driving the ball to right field. Brinker went 2-for-5 with a homer and two runs scored, and Gerety went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
- Robbie O'Connor was the Huskies' best pitcher of the regional, posting a 1.29 ERA across seven innings in Saturday's elimination win over Missouri State.
- Saturday's win over Missouri State was the first time in the Mike Glavine era that the Huskies outhit their opponent in an NCAA Regional game. Sunday's game against Arkansas saw the most Husky hits in an NCAA Regional game in that same span - it was also the first time Northeastern outhit an SEC or other Power 4 opponent in a regional game under Glavine.
- The Huskies won five of six elimination games between the CAA Tournament and NCAA Regional across the final two weekends of the season, including four straight in the CAA Tournament to claim the conference title.
