The Northeastern baseball team (41-9, 22-2 CAA) took down the William & Mary Tribe (20-31, 13-11 CAA) the weekend of May 9 to 11, securing the CAA regular season championship and marking its 20th win in a row.
At Plumeri Park on Friday, the Huskies used shutout pitching and clutch late scoring to secure a 1-0 win. Starting graduate student left-handed pitcher Will Jones and junior right-handed reliever Charlie Walker pitched all nine innings for a combined 11 strikeouts and just four hits. This game marked the third shutout of the season for both Jones and Walker, and the 15th for the Huskies — the most in the the nation.
The game remained scoreless through eight innings before the Huskies broke through in the ninth. Junior shortstop Jack Goodman started off the inning with a single up the middle and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Then, the one run came from a two-out, RBI single to left field by graduate student first baseman Alex Lane, scoring Goodman.
William & Mary added on pressure with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, but Walker was able to put them away with a two-out flyout to right field.
In the second game of the series Saturday afternoon, the Huskies scored a staggering 15 runs against the Tribe. William & Mary scored its first and only run in the first inning, but the Huskies answered back in the fourth inning. Redshirt junior left fielder Harrison Feinberg led off the frame with a walk and stole second. Goodman knocked him in with an RBI double, tying the game.
After Goodman stole third, junior designated hitter Matt Brinker hit an RBI single to left-center, bringing him home. A single from graduate student catcher Gregory Bozzo and a double from sophomore third baseman Chris Walsh drove in two more runs for the 4-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, the bases were loaded and Brinker was hit by a pitch, scoring junior center fielder Cam Maldonado from third.
During the sixth inning, Bozzo reached first on an error, stole second and reached third on another fielding error. A Walsh sacrifice fly scored Bozzo. Maldonado walked and scored on an RBI single to left by Goodman, increasing the lead to 7-1.
Sophomore right fielder Ryan Gerety singled to right, stole both second and third and was able to score on a Feinberg sacrifice fly to center.
The Huskies piled it on in the ninth, scoring seven runs. Lane singled through the left, scoring both junior second baseman Carmelo Mussachia and Brinker. A bases-loaded walk to Maldonado scored another run. Then, senior left fielder Justin Bosland, who pinch hit for Feinberg, was hit by a pitch, increasing the lead to 12-1. Another pinch hitter, freshman shortstop Henry DiGiorgio, came in for Goodman and hit an RBI single to left, which scored Walsh. Mussachia then had an RBI single, followed by another bases-loaded walk by the Tribe pitching staff. The Huskies now had a 15-1 lead with one frame left in the game.
Starting junior right-handed pitcher Aiven Cabral pitched six innings, allowing just one run. He struck out six batters, walked one and allowed just four hits. Both senior left-handed pitcher Jack Bowery and junior right-handed pitcher Joseph Hauser threw three combined perfect innings to end the game.
This game marks the team’s 40th win of the season, only the second time in Northeastern Baseball history they’ve reached that milestone.
The Huskies continued their momentum May 11, wiping the Tribe 15-5 in seven innings.
In the top of the first inning, Feinberg was walked by redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Tom Bourque. He advanced to second off a wild pitch as Goodman also walked. Musacchia singled to center field, which advanced Goodman to second and brought Feinberg home for the first score of the game.
Both Musacchia and Goodman stole the bases ahead of them, then Brinker walked to first. After this, freshman right-handed pitcher Jack Weight replaced Bourque. Lane collected a home run, sending all four runners home and extending the lead to 5-0.
At the top of the second inning, the Tribe changed their pitchers again, sending in senior right-handed pitcher Reed Interdonato.
Maldonado walked to first base, then stole second. Feinberg and Goodman both walked. Musacchia hit a double and advanced to third off an error by the Tribe’s shortstop, graduate student Owen Wilson. Maldonado, Feinberg and Goodman all scored off the play, 8-0. Musacchia then scored off a wild pitch, marking 9-0 on the scoreboard.
In the fourth inning, Northeastern added its 10th run with a home run by Maldonado, while William & Mary scored its first runs of the game. Junior designated hitter Charlie Iriotakis walked to first. Junior catcher Jerry Barnes III hit a home run, which brought Iriotakis and Barnes home, 10-2.
In the top of the fifth, Lane and Bozzo both walked. Walsh then bunted on an error by the pitcher, advancing to second. Lane and Bozzo both scored on the error. Gerety walked to first and Walsh moved to third on a wild pitch.
The Tribe changed pitchers again, this time to graduate student left-handed pitcher Ryan Feczko. Maldonado doubled to right center, which brought Gerety to third and Walsh home, 13-2. Goodman walked, then Musacchia doubled to third base. Goodman advanced to third and Maldonado scored, 14-2.
In the bottom of the inning, senior right fielder Chris Walsh collected a home run, 15-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, freshman third baseman Jamie Laskofski and sophomore first baseman Anthony Greco both scored, which brought the final score of the game to 15-5. Because of the 10-run rule, the game ended at the seventh.
The Huskies will play the University of Connecticut (33-18, 17-4 Big East) on the road May 13 at 6:05 p.m.
