By Jessica Geller, News Correspondent
After a tough six-game losing streak, the Northeastern baseball team won two of three games in a weekend Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) series against Towson University at Friedman Diamond. The Huskies improved to 15-18 on the season and 4-5 in the CAA.
Northeastern won Friday’s game, 7-4, but fell to Towson Saturday, 3-1. Northeastern bounced back Sunday with a 3-2 walkoff win.
Junior shortstop Jason Vosler was the hero Friday afternoon, torching a two-run home run over the broadcasters’ booth to give Northeastern the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“It felt good to give the team the lead and finally get my first home run out of the way,” Vosler said.
Redshirt-sophomore infielder Michael Foster drove in senior center fielder Connor Lyons with an RBI single to give Northeastern an early 1-0 lead. Lyons led off the game with a single and reached third after a sacrifice bunt by senior infielder Brad Burcroff and a wild pitch.
The Lyons brothers had back-to-back singles in the second. Senior right fielder Sean Lyons then scored on a wild pitch to put the Huskies ahead 2-0.
Junior pitcher Nick Berger sent the first six Tigers down in order. But Towson tied the game in the third, 2-2. The Tigers added two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings to lead, 4-2.
Northeastern got one run back in the bottom of the fifth when Burcroff scored on a single by freshman designated hitter Nick Fanneron.
Vosler’s home run put the Huskies up 5-4 in the seventh. Northeastern added two insurance runs after sophomore infielder Shane Allen hit a 2-RBI single to score Foster and freshman left fielder Gabe Levanti.
The defense made several stellar plays to keep Northeastern in the game, including a great running catch by Connor Lyons in center in the seventh.
“It definitely gets the momentum going,” Vosler said. “Foster had a couple nice plays at second base too. It gets us fired up.”
“Six games is a rough losing streak so we are happy we could finally get a win,” Vosler said.
Saturday’s starting pitcher was senior Chris Carmain, who pitched six innings, allowing one run in the second. Northeastern tied it in the fourth. Burcroff led off with a single and moved to third on Vosler’s double. Levanti’s sacrifice fly brought Burcroff home. After four, the score was 1-1.
Freshman Aaron Civale pitched in relief. Towson took the lead in the seventh and added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. The Tigers won game two, 3-1.
Northeastern redshirt-sophomore catcher Josh Treff hit a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday with the bases loaded and two outs to take the series from the Tigers.
“It’s really exciting,” Treff said. “We’ve had a lot of tough games that go into extra innings. We finally caught a break and got to walk off with one. That was awesome.”
Foster hit a one-out double to spark the Huskies’ 10th inning victory. Sean Lyons walked. Freshman third baseman Cam Hanley walked after Levanti lined out to load the bases.
“[Treff] hit the ball hard all afternoon,” Northeastern head coach Neil McPhee said. “It was great to see him clutch it up and be the hero of the game.”
Foster earned the win, pitching three scoreless innings. With no outs and runners on first on third in the top of the 10th inning, Foster got the next two batters out. He then hit Towson’s Kurt Wertz to load the bases. Foster stayed with his next batter, Dominic Fratantuono, and struck him out looking.
Freshman starting pitcher Dustin Hunt went seven innings, giving up two runs.
“[Hunt] has been the most consistent freshman in the 29 years I’ve been here,” McPhee said. “Clearly, he’s off to a great career start.”
Northeastern will be back in action Friday when they kick off a three-game weekend home CAA series with the College of William & Mary. The Huskies are set to play at 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday.
