Two outs on the board. A two-run deficit at the top of the ninth. One last chance for the Huskies to get back on top.
Northeastern had started off strong in the second game of their weekend series against Delaware, taking an early 4-0 lead with home runs from Tyler MacGregor and Mike Sirota in the first, and a single from Beckstein in the second, but stumbled against Delaware’s offensive pressure.
After pitching a hitless first inning, Northeastern sophomore starter Aiven Cabral struggled on the mound as the Blue Hens exploded with four hits and five runs in the second, including a 3-RBI homer off the bat of redshirt senior Eric Ludman.
The other two runs came from redshirt junior Brett Lesher, who went three for four on the day as the nine-hitter.
But when the Huskies tied it back up at 5-5 with a sacrifice fly from Carmelo Musacchia, Delaware reset on the mound, bringing in left-hander Eli Atiya from the bullpen.
Atiya lasted 5.2 innings for the Blue Hens, including three 1-2-3 innings to start his stint.
With its reliever keeping Northeastern at bay, Delaware extended its lead. In the bottom of the fourth, redshirt senior Bryce Greenly tacked on two more runs when he nailed a home run over the right field wall, forcing Cabral into a mid-inning exit.
Lefty Jack Bowery entered the game for the Huskies facing a 7-5 deficit and only let through one run, a single from redshirt junior Brett Lesher to score Josearmonda Diaz and widen the gap to three.
In the top of the seventh, Northeastern got one back with a solo homer from leadoff senior Luke Beckstein, but came into the final inning of the game still trailing by two.
At the top of the ninth, on their last breath, the Huskies found their stride. The nine-hitter Harrison Feinberg started it off for Northeastern, singling to center field to put them back at the top of the lineup. But two outs later, the Huskies were running out of hope. That was until Alex Lane came up to bat, raising a full count before walking to first. With runners aboard, Sirota came in clutch, erasing weeks of struggle as he earned a crucial run to cut Delaware’s lead in half, going 3-for-5 on the afternoon.
Sophomore transfer Jack Goodman came up to the plate next, the Huskies still trailing by one with two outs, but his double was exactly what Northeastern needed. Goodman bounced one just inside the third base line and Delaware’s diving third baseman couldn’t reach it in time, allowing Sirota and pinch runner Cam Maldonado to run home.
It was the first time in eight innings Delaware had been down, and they were not willing to go down without a fight. Atiya was retired in favor of redshirt senior right Owen Margolis, but Margolis let through a run in the first at bat he faced, as Jimmy Sullivan came into the game in place of Jack Doyle, his single scoring Goodman.
Northeastern had a two-run cushion heading into the bottom of the ninth, and after finally getting back in the lead, they brought in right-hander Jack Beauchesne to close it out.
Greenly led off the inning with a homer, but that didn’t shake Beauchesne. The next three batters came up empty as Northeastern locked it down for a surprising win after its late-game resurgence.
Although the season’s star hitter Alex Lane has gone cold against the Blue Hens, going 0-for-7 this weekend, Sirota has stepped back up, filling in the gap with a season-high three RBI.
The win clinched another conference series for Northeastern, but they still have one more game to go. The Huskies will face Delaware one more time Sunday at 1 p.m. Written coverage following the game will be provided on WRBB’s website.