The Northeastern baseball team (49-10, 25-2 CAA) defeated the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats (37-23, 24-5 Southwestern Athletic Conference) 4-3 May 31 to continue the postseason run.
Sophomore right fielder Ryan Gerety led off the top of the first inning with a double to left-center field and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. He scored from a sacrifice fly out by redshirt junior left fielder Harrison Feinberg to put the Huskies up 1-0.
Through four innings of work, graduate student left-handed pitcher Jordan Gottesman held the Wildcats scoreless with six strikeouts.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Bethune-Cookman leveled the score at 1-1. Two hit-by-pitches to senior center fielder Daniel Figueroa and junior left fielder Darryl Lee put two runners on. Junior third baseman Andrey Martinez’s double down the left field line scored Figueroa.
Northeastern regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Feinberg doubled to left field to put a runner in scoring position. Junior shortstop Jack Goodman singled through the left side to bring in Feinberg and make the score 2-1.
Lee doubled before being advanced to third on a single by Martinez. Junior second baseman Jesus Vanegas hit a sacrifice fly to score Lee and even the score at 2-2.
In the top of the ninth inning, a home run by graduate student catcher Gregory Bozzo gave the Huskies the third lead of the game, 3-2. A throwing error and a balk allow senior third baseman Jack Doyle to advance to second. Gerety singled to third base to score Doyle and extend the lead to 4-2.
Two walks and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third for the Wildcats. A fielding error by graduate student first baseman Alex Lane allowed junior right-handed pitcher Pablo Torres, who entered the game as a pinch runner, to cross the plate and put the team within one.
A forced groundout and strikeout by senior right-handed pitcher Brett Dunham ended the contest at 4-3.
The Huskies will play the Mississippi State University in the regional semifinal June 1, with a trip to the final and the Super Regional on the line.
