By Zolan Kanno-Youngs, News Correspondent
Freshman pitcher Nick Berger picked up a loss in his first career start as the Huskies fell 16-7 Sunday, allowing James Madison University to pick up the series sweep.
JMU won Friday’s series opener 6-14 and took Saturday’s one-run game, 3-2.
Berger allowed six runs on nine hits through three innings in the series finale.
The Huskies stayed within three runs until the eighth when the Dukes opened up the game with a seven-run inning.
“Our depth of bullpen and lack of experience is where we’re hurting,” head coach Neil McPhee said. “We’re struggling to maintain leads late in the game. Losing [freshman utility player] Mike Foster is currently a major factor of the last two weekends.”
The freshman was not only playing second base, but also served as the team’s closer with two saves on the season. Foster played two weeks on a broken foot before being benched. He is expected to be out for four to six weeks.
The bullpen couldn’t hold the game after junior catcher John Puttress cut JMU’s lead with a two-run single in the top of the fourth, closing the gap to 6-5.
JMU was able to stretch the lead to two in the bottom of the inning when junior catcher Bradley Shaban brought sophomore infielder Connor Brown home on an RBI double.
The Huskies once again responded when freshman second baseman Jason Vosler hit a solo shot for his fifth home run of the season to make a 7-6 game.
Junior shortstop Pete Castoldi homered in the top of the eighth to bring the Huskies within two runs, but the Northeastern bullpen could not stop the JMU offense in the bottom of the inning as the Dukes scored seven runs on five hits.
With the score 16-7, the Huskies were retired in order in the ninth to end the game.
In game two of the series, junior pitcher Kevin Ferguson bounced back following a rough outing against VCU in which he gave up eight runs on six hits. He struck out five and allowed only three runs on 11 hits Saturday.
“I thought it was probably the most important game of his career here,” McPhee said. “[He] rebounded a so-so performance against VCU and then came out and essentially dominated James Madison.”
The Dukes struck first in the bottom of the third when senior designated hitter Even Scott brought junior shortstop Casey Goss home on an RBI groundout.
Vosler helped power the Husky offensive with two RBI singles. The first tied the game in the fourth and drove home senior Matt Miller in the fifth.
JMU took the lead in the sixth with a two run inning. The Dukes then took the lead 3-2 when Shaban stole home plate with junior catcher Billy Logan batting.
The steal held as the winning run.
“Right now, through the last two weekends, we’ve seen two great bullpens and that’s a part of any team that is absolutely critical to win any three game set,” McPhee said.
The Huskies started the weekend with a 14-6 loss Friday.
Senior captain Andrew Leenhouts took the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits through four innings.
Again, the Huskies took the lead late into the game, but a seven-run in the sixth inning by JMU led to a Northeastern downfall.
Vosler and junior catcher John Leroux each had two hits in the loss and junior outfielder Jason Roth hit a pinch hit home run in his first at bat of the season.
“We are down about this, anyone would be,” McPhee said. “A seven-game [losing] streak can be very hard on a team, which it is, no doubt about it, but we all think that we can turn it around the next game we play.”
