By Jared Shafran
After splitting a double-header Saturday, the baseball team could not break a tie after 11 innings and finished deadlocked at three with the UNC Wilmington Seahawks Sunday.
The Huskies hosted the Seahawks, who went into the series undefeated in conference play. UNC Wilmington was nationally ranked for the first time in the team’s history at No. 19 and had won 21 straight games leading up to Friday’s scheduled game.
The first game Friday was rained out and a double-header was scheduled for Saturday. In the first game Saturday, the Huskies were led to a 6-4 win by a strong pitching performance from junior Jeff Thomson (4-1).
Thomson pitched a complete game for the Huskies, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out three.
“He has been outstanding,” said head coach Neil McPhee. “He is a veteran pitcher who knows how to pitch and he kept his cool out there.”
The Huskies got out to an early lead in the second inning on a three-run homer from junior catcher Frank Pesanello. The team added to the lead in the next inning on an RBI single from sophomore right fielder Tony DiCesare, scoring two more runs.
That was all Thomson needed as he settled in and finished the game for the Huskies.
In the second game of the day, the Huskies’ offense was shut down by Seahawks’ starter Bradley Holt (5-1).
In what was a shortened seven inning contest, Holt held the Huskies to one hit and pitched all seven innings, giving his team an 11-1 victory.
“Holt has an excellent major league type fastball,” McPhee said. “Very few hitters are ready to hit that and you just have to tip your hat to anyone who does that.”
The only hit the Huskies managed was a solo home run by Frank Pesanello. He leads the Huskies with 10 homers this season.
The Seahawks were led on offense by third baseman Nate Hall and catcher Mark Carver. Hall hit a three-run homer in the third inning and Carver blasted a grand slam later in the sixth.
Junior Dan Zehr (1-2) started the game for the Huskies. He allowed nine runs and 11 hits in five innings pitched.
Sunday’s game was filled with excitement after the Huskies made a comeback in the eighth inning. The game ended in a tie at three after 11 innings, due to a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) travel curfew.
The Seahawks took the lead in the first inning after Huskies’ starter Kris Dabrowiecki allowed the first two batters of the game to reach base. After a sacrifice fly, Nate Hall’s two-run homer opened up a 3-0 lead for the Seahawks.
Dabrowiecki allowed three runs on five hits in six innings pitched.
In the bottom of the first, with two outs, the Huskies got back-to-back-to-back singles from Mike Tamsin, Mike Lyon and Tony DiCesare, scoring one run to cut the lead to 3-1.
Jeff Hatcher started the game for the Seahawks. He finished after seven innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. Hatcher also struck out seven Husky batters.
Both starting pitchers settled in after the first inning and maintained the score until the eighth inning. With Frank Compagnone at second base, senior shortstop Mike Lyon tripled and then scored on a wild pitch by Seahawks shortstop Mike Rooney to tie the game at three.
“Mike Lyon is having probably the best year to date of all the players I have coached in my time at Northeastern,” McPhee said. “He couldn’t be any better for us and hopefully it carries throughout the year.”
Husky relief pitcher Sheldon McDonald had a great outing. In five innings of work, he did not allow a run and only let up two hits while striking out two.
“He put us in position to get back in the game,” McPhee said.
The score remained tied through the 11th inning when the game was called.
After the weekend series, the Huskies are 11-12-1 on the season and 4-7-1 in the CAA. UNC Wilmington is now 23-5-1 overall and 13-1-1 in the CAA.
“We gained confidence this week,” McPhee said. “This has been the most positive weekend that we have had.”
The Huskies travel to Worcester to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders Tuesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
