After a week at home, the Northeastern baseball team (24-7, 7-2 CAA) traveled to Towson over the weekend, and despite losing their nine-game winning streak Saturday afternoon, the Huskies rallied back Sunday to take the series 2-1 with a 9-4 victory.
The first inning was nearly a 1-2-3 frame from both sides, the only difference being a hit by pitch from Tigers junior righty Brett Seils. Although his flounder put graduate student Tyler MacGregor, Northeastern’s leader in runs (42), on base, Seils kept his composure, striking out the rest of the first-inning batters.
On the mound for the Huskies, starting pitcher Wyatt Scotti pitched a nearly perfect stretch in his six innings of work. In his eighth appearance this season, the senior allowed only three hits and no runs, bringing his ERA down to 4.34. Only two Towson runners managed to get in scoring position in those six innings.
With Scotti manning the forefront of the Huskies’ defense, Northeastern got on the scoreboard first, earning two runs in the second inning.
A fielding error from Towson sophomore center fielder Cole Stefano left a big opportunity for the Huskies, who had two runners on, both in scoring position. With plenty of space, sophomore Jack Goodman and junior Jack Doyle both ran home, giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
At the top of the third, Northeastern extended its lead by one. Facing MacGregor, graduate student Alex Lane and junior Mike Sirota back to back to back to start an inning is a formidable task, and the trio quickly loaded the bases. Doyle struck out swinging, giving Towson a glimmer of hope with the first out of the frame, but Goodman capitalized on the opportunity, extending his breakout-season success with a fielder’s-choice single to bring MacGregor home.
⬇️ 4 | BIG TIME K FROM SCOTTI!
He strands two runners and posts another 0 on the scoreboard! pic.twitter.com/7FRYo0icyj
— Northeastern Baseball (@GoNUbaseball) April 7, 2024
Scotti finished out his day strong with 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth, still at the top of his game after throwing 87 pitches. He was relieved by sophomore right-hander Charlie Walker at the bottom of the seventh, but Walker struggled in his sole inning.
After being silenced for so long, Towson was eager to get on the board, as Walker allowed a walk and a hit against his first two batters. However, with two consecutive infield flies, the runners were forced to wait, and Northeastern secured two outs. But before the Huskies could seal their third and end the inning, the Tigers roared to the lead. A fielder’s choice hit from senior Jeremy Wagner scored two runs for Towson, and circling back to the top of the lineup, Stefano drove a two-RBI single into right field, giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
The Huskies responded immediately with an impressive six-run performance. Senior Luke Beckstein started it off for the Huskies with a sacrifice bunt, scoring redshirt sophomore Harrison Feinberg. MacGregor then knocked an RBI single into center field before stealing bases with Lane, yet another trademark double-steal from the Huskies this season. Sirota stepped up to the plate, and with an intimidating record to his name, including a CAA preseason Player of the Year nod, the Tigers opted to intentionally walk him and load the bases. However, this didn’t go as Towson planned, as a bases-loaded walk extended the Huskies lead to 6-4. Finally, senior Gregory Bozzo notched a season-high three-RBI afternoon in just one hit, his right field drive scoring Doyle, Sirota and Lane. By the end of the inning, Northeastern had jumped back in front heftily, owning a five-run lead the Tigers couldn’t chip into.
In that inning, the Tigers cycled through three pitchers, none of them able to slow Northeastern’s momentum.
A 1-2-3 inning from junior righty Dennis Colleran and a sole hit against Northeastern junior closer Jack Beauchesne ended the day in favor of Northeastern, 9-4, as they left Towson with another series win.
Over the weekend, Northeastern made it to the top of one nation-wide ranking — although maybe not one to write home about. After breaking the single-season program record for hits by pitch Friday afternoon with 18, Beckstein was nailed four more times to lead the country with 22. Ouch. On the bright side, the leadoff hitter now owns Northeastern’s top on base percentage at .561, so those blows might just be a blessing in disguise.
Tuesday afternoon, the Huskies will return to Massachusetts, but remain on the road as they visit Boston College for the pair’s second matchup this season. The Huskies defeated the Eagles just a couple weeks ago, and will look to do the same in the Baseball Beanpot championship, a tournament Northeastern has not been in the finals for since 2018 and has not won since 2013. The Huskies will seek their first Beanpot victory in over a decade when the first pitch flies at 5 p.m.
