By Jake Sauberman, deputy sports editor
Heading into a series with the current Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) leader, the Huskies likely were not expecting a three-game sweep. But that is exactly what the Northeastern University (NU) baseball team came away with against the College of Charleston before dropping the Beanpot consolation game at Fenway Park.
“We played great baseball from the first inning to the last inning all weekend,” head coach Mike Glavine said. “It gives us tremendous confidence. We’re at the halfway point in conference play, and to be in first place is exactly where we want to be.”
The Huskies took game one 6-3 on the heels of another solid start from senior righthander Mike Fitzgerald. Seemingly a six-inning machine, the veteran allowed just two runs on four hits and one walk, striking out four.
NU jumped on the scoreboard quickly on a two run double from junior shortstop Max Burt, who went 3 for 4 in the game to raise his season batting average to .356. The Cougars would tie it up in the third, but four more runs highlighted by a two-run shot from freshman second baseman Scott Holzwasser gave the Huskies the permanent lead. Holzwasser’s big week, including another home run in Sunday’s game, earned him CAA Rookie of the Week honors.
The Huskies tallied 11 hits in Friday’s match but drew only one walk, emblematic of the series as a whole. The team ripped 37 hits but managed two total walks across the three games.
“We wanted to be aggressive. We didn’t want to go down in the count and let Charleston dictate the at-bats,” Glavine said. “We know they aren’t the team to walk a lot of guys, so we thought we should jump on the strikes early.”
The offense embraced Glavine’s gameplan, as the lineup knocked around the Cougars for another 13 hits in game two on Saturday. Sophomore outfielder Charlie McConnell’s 4 for 5 night including a solo homer highlighted the offensive attack.
On the pitching side, freshman righthander David Stiehl allowed three early runs, putting the Huskies in an early deficit. However, senior righthander Nate Borges came on for the next 4.1 innings, keeping the Cougars off the scoreboard and giving the Huskies a chance to rally late for the 4-3 victory.
Ranking second on the team with a 3.43 ERA, Borges has the stamina and the ability to start, and Glavine hinted at a possible role change in the upcoming series.
“The thing about Nate [Borges] is that he gives us so much flexibility in his role,” Glavine said. “Not a lot of guys on our staff can bounce back as quick as he can. He can start, he can relieve, he can start a game on Wednesday and give us a couple innings over the weekend.”
There were no questions about Sunday’s starter. Junior righthander Brian Christian continued his breakout campaign with seven strong innings of three-run ball, improving to 5-0 on the season.
The game was within a one-run margin until the bottom of the eighth, when Holzwasser unloaded a two-run, inside-the-park home run to the left-center gap.
Junior closer Tyler Robinson came on for his usual save situation in the top of the ninth, but didn’t quite have his normal feel for the strike zone. He walked the first two batters he faced, and Glavine had seen enough. Sophomore lefthander Andrew Misiaszek came on to shut the door with three quick outs.
“[Robinson] got the save Friday, throwing strikes and pounding the zone,” Glavine said. “At that stage of the game, that late, you can’t walk guys. If you’re coming out of the bullpen, you better throw strikes. He didn’t do it, so we went to the next guy.”
On Wednesday, the Huskies took on the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Beanpot consolation game, played annually at Fenway Park.
NU jumped out to an early lead on a first-inning RBI single by senior third baseman Cam Hanley. He did it again in the third, and an RBI double from senior outfielder Pat Madigan in the top of the fourth gave the Huskies the 3-0 advantage.
The game unraveled in the bottom of the fourth: Senior and freshman relievers Mike Driscoll and Brian Rodriguez gave up three runs apiece before the third out. Northeastern managed to creep back on a pinch-hit, two-run double from junior infielder Zach Perry to cut the deficit to one. But that was all the scoring to be had, as the game ended in a 6-5 loss.
Despite the loss, Glavine found the game beneficial for the athletes.
“It’s a great time for the players to be able to play at Fenway Park,” Glavine said. “With most of our roster being New England kids, a lot of them are Red Sox fans. It’s definitely a cool experience for them.”
Looking forward to the weekend, the Huskies will take on the New York Institute of Technology in a four-game series at home. Taking a week off from the intensity of conference play, Glavine views this weekend as a way to further gauge his roster.
“I’d love to use a lot more guys this coming weekend and get the young guys some experience,” Glavine said. “Being able to mix some other guys in there as well allows us to continue to grow as a team. This weekend gives us the perfect opportunity to show that off as we prepare for our stretch run.”
