By Jared Shafran
The baseball team was unable to come out with a series win this weekend, losing to the Georgia State Panthers 2 games to 1 at The Field in Panthersville, Georgia.
In the first game of the series, the Panthers took control by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and taking the lead.
Prior to that, the game had been a back and forth affair, with both teams exchanging leads. Heading into the fifth, the game was tied at 3.
Northeastern struck first in the top of the second inning when sophomore David Gustafson hit a solo home run, his second of the season.
The lead did not last though, and in the bottom of that inning the Panthers put up three runs. Junior outfielder Nick Hogan had the big hit of the inning, singling to the gap, which drove in two runs.
The Huskies tied the game in the third inning and then took the lead in the fifth on a hit by sophomore Frank Compagnone, which scored James Donaldson. But again, the Huskies were unable to hold the lead for long, with the Panthers answering back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three more runs. That put Georgia State on top for good and they held on to beat the Huskies by a score of 7-4.
Senior captain Kris Dabrowiecki started the game for Northeastern and dropped to 1-3 on the season after allowing nine hits and six runs in five innings of work. Sophomore reliever Sheldon McDonald pitched the final three innings of the game for the Huskies, allowing only one run.
For the Panthers, Robinson Polanco (5-1) pitched a complete game and was able to hold the Huskies while picking up a win.
In the second game, the Huskies hit a season high seven home runs en route to a 14-6 victory, evening the series. Lightning and rain in the area delayed the game for about an hour but the wetness did not seem to affect the Huskies as they tied the series.
Each of the first six hitters in the Northeastern lineup hit a long ball, including Compagnone who hit two that day.
In the third inning, the Huskies scored seven runs on the backs of junior left fielder Mike Tamsin and senior captain Josh Porter. For both players, it was their first home run of the season.
“We swung the bats well on both Friday and Saturday,” said Huskies head coach Neil McPhee.
Other Huskies who homered on the day were Gustafson, shortstop Mike Lyon and catcher Tony Dicesare.
“They tried me out in the leadoff spot, which they did last year so I felt comfortable,” Gustafson said. “Hitting is contagious. When one or two guys are doing well, we all have been able to hit.”
Junior Jeff Thomson started the game for the Huskies and got his third win of the season after pitching six and one-third innings and only allowing four runs and striking out three.
“He is our No. 1 right now,” McPhee said. “He has been able to get us deep in the game.”
Sophomore Charly Bashara pitched the last two innings of the game, finishing off the Panthers for the day and not allowing any runs.
For the Panthers, starter Will Palmer (2-1) was not helped by the sloppy defense behind him. Palmer lasted three and two-thirds innings, but only two of the nine runs that he allowed were charged to him.
In the final game, Georgia State hammered out 19 hits on their way to beating the Huskies by a final score of 17-7.
The Panthers scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning to take the lead and the Huskies were never able to get back in the game after that. The inning was highlighted by Panthers outfielder Mike McCree, who stole home for the fourth run of the inning.
Gustafson, the team’s leadoff and designated hitter on the day, drove in two runs. Other Huskies to help out on the offensive side were Dicesare, who legged out his second triple of the season, and Frank Pesanello, who was the only Huskies player with multiple hits on the day.
Junior Dan Zehr started the game for the Huskies but was unable to get into a rhythm. He was pulled after four innings, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits. Sophomore Ryan Quigley pitched the last four innings, allowing nine runs on eight hits.
The team had problems Sunday with fielding, which was not as much an issue in previous games. They committed a season high five errors in the loss.
At the conclusion of the series, Northeastern dropped its record to 10-10 overall on the season and 3-6 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Georgia State improved to 17-9 overall and 6-6 in the conference. The Huskies’ next game is Tuesday at Friedman Diamond where they will host the Boston College Eagles at 3 p.m.
“We are looking to get momentum going into Beanpot,” Gustafson said. “Last year we split with them and usually they are the team to beat so hopefully we can a win.”
The first round of the Beanpot will take place April 9 against Boston College in Lynn.
