By: Jimmy Brooks, News Staff
Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench once said, “Slumps are like a soft bed. They’re easy to get into and hard to get out of.”
By Bench’s standards, the baseball team was fast asleep a week ago. But after winning two straight games to conclude their spring break trip to Florida, the Huskies are awake and recharged and things are looking slightly less grim than they were a week ago.
After dropping their first eight decisions down south, the Huskies found a way to emerge from a losing streak by topping St. Bonaventure 9-4.
“Obviously to come out with two straight wins after a very difficult week, makes it a much more pleasant week than it would have been, naturally,” head coach Neil McPhee said.
The win proved to be sweet revenge for the Huskies, who just five days earlier fell to the Bonnies by a score of 7-6.
Hungry for a win, the Huskies came roaring out of the gates with a three-run first inning highlighted by the bat of sophomore second baseman Alan Pastrynak, who drove freshman Aaron Barbosa in on an RBI single.
Senior outfielder Jeff Dunlap later drove Pastrynak in on an RBI double. Oliver Hart increased the lead to 3-0 with a long fly ball to center field, scoring Dunlap from third.
Senior pitcher Brandon McNelis threw a gem for the Huskies, allowing just two runs over six innings of work. By the time McNelis had departed in the early seventh, McNelis had fanned seven batters.
Northeastern cemented its first win of the year in the eight inning, scoring three runs, two which came off of a throwing error on a sophomore Jason Roth bunt attempt.
Momentum from the victory carried over to the second game of the double header, as the Huskies were able to take care of the Western Michigan Broncos, prevailing by a final box score of 11-8.
“After the first game, everyone knew we could take the second game,” sophomore pitcher Kevin Ferguson said. “It was a weight lifted off our shoulders.”
The win marked the first time this season the squad cracked double digits offensively.
“I think the team came together really well,” Ferguson said. “We were down in the beginning, never gave up, and came back to win against a really good team. It was a pretty good game overall.”
With his six-inning effort in the first game of a double header, McNelis set a standard of quality for Ferguson. The sophomore answered with a four and two-thirds inning, six strike out performance, giving up just one run in the process.
“Kevin Ferguson threw magnificently,” McPhee said. “He was exceptional, it’s what we needed to hold that team down.”
McPhee also praised a number of pitchers, including McNelis, sophomore Dylan Maki, senior J.T. Ross, and junior Drew Leenhouts.
The Huskies have answered any critics who questioned whether the team would emerge from Florida with a win. In addition, questions about the new bats have been answered as well. Weeks ago, the NCAA required that all teams use a bat that performs more like a wood bat, to reduce exit speed of hit balls. Player safety is now much less of a factor.
“What doesn’t work in our favor a bit is the new bat, which is not generating a lot of home runs,” McPhee said. “The power is not the name of the game anymore, it’s contact and fundamentals.”
McPhee said he knew from the start that the new bat would be a hindrance to a squad that already lacked power in the starting lineup. Yet, over the last two games, the Huskies found a way to make their own style of play, which McPhee said focuses on contact and speed, work.
Perhaps this game plan, as well as the pitching skill shown over the last couple of games can land the Huskies some more much needed victories.
“I think that we’re hopeful, the last two games are a good sign,” McPhee said. “But as they say… you are what your record says you are. We have to look at it, and not sugar coat it. It is a 2-8 team right now.”
The Huskies will resume action when they travel to UNC Wilmington for a three-game series tomorrow.
