By Elizabeth Thomas, News Correspondent
The baseball team (9-6, 3-3 Colonial Athletic Association) suffered another close loss, 4-3, against Central Connecticut State University (6-7, 2-2) at Friedmond Diamond Tuesday afternoon.
The Huskies dropped three of their last four games by one run.
“I am extremely proud of how hard they fought to come back today in the seventh [inning] and got so close to tying up,” assistant coach Mike Glavine said after the game.
This is Glavine’s first game as interim head coach. The university’s Athletics Department suspended head coach Neil McPhee for one game, but declined to give further details of the suspension. McPhee will be back as head coach starting this Friday for the Huskies three game series away at the University of Richmond.
Sophomore pitcher Matt Cook (1-1, 2.50 ERA), threw for six innings in his third start of the season for the Huskies. Cook had a seamless first inning but let the Blue Devils interrupt in the second by allowing four runs to score on six hits at bats. All four Blue Devil runs came in the second inning and with only one earned as the Huskies committed two errors.
“Though we didn’t give him the offensive he deserved, we got great play out of our starter in [Matt] Cook today,” Glavine said.
Blue Devils’ sophomore pitcher Nick Boyd got his first win of the season, and sophomore pitcher Tom Coughlin picked up his first save.
Northeastern didn’t score until the bottom of the fourth, when junior infielder Ricky Salvucci grabbed his first RBI of the season off a two-out single to bring home senior outfielder and co-captain Matt Miller. Salvucci singled through the right side, advancing Vosler to third bringing Miller home.
Junior designated hitter Jon Leroux cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 4-2 at the bottom of the sixth inning when he hit a solo home run over the left field wall.
“Leroux is a very unique, valuable player to us. He is consistent with his offense whether we put him in the line up as a catcher or as the DH, either way he always makes a substantial effect on the team when he plays,” Glavine said.
Leroux has the second highest batting average on the team with .389 with 36 at bats, starting eight of the nine games he’s played this season.
Freshman pitcher Nick Berger did not allow another hit in the seventh inning, making this his fifth scoreless inning of his season.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Leroux slammed the first pitch he saw in the at-bat over the left field wall and into the Northeastern bullpen, closing the gap to 4-3.
“I genuinely thought we had a chance, that we were not only going to tie [in the seventh] and go into extra innings but also win,” Galvine said. “I always believe we have a chance to win and go into every game thinking that.”
Sophomore outfielder Connor Lyons got a one-out walk to reach base. Sophomore second baseman Aaron Barbosato then smashed a double right down left field to move Lyons into third base at the bottom of the ninth, leaving both Huskies in scoring position to tie the game.
In the ninth inning, after an intentional walk to junior catcher John Puttress to load the bases, Miller attempted to snake a line drive down the first base line, but Blue Devil junior first baseman Tyler McIntyre came up with a lunging catch for an out. He tagged first base to complete the game-ending double play, making the final score 4-3 in favor of Central Connecticut State winning their third straight road game.
The Huskies open a three-game series against non-conference rivals University of Richmond tomorrow. Northeastern will be back on home turf Tuesday to face Boston College at 3 p.m.
