BROOKLINE — It took a little longer than Huskies fans may have expected, but Northeastern’s bats came alive in the late innings to power the team to victory over the NC A&T Aggies. The win was a program-record 22nd straight triumph, the longest streak in the NCAA this season.
Ace starter Will Jones improved to 10-0 on the season in the victory, chipping in 5⅓ workmanlike — if somewhat inefficient — innings and keeping the Aggies scoreless throughout his time in the contest. The graduate southpaw recorded 8 strikeouts while walking two batsmen and surrendering four hits on 93 pitches. Although Jones appeared somewhat uncomfortable at times as he dealt with several shifty baserunners, intermittent downpours, and a general mugginess at Friedman Diamond, he did his part to keep NC A&T off the scoreboard while his offensive teammates struggled to score in the early going.
The first three innings passed with little meaningful offensive action for either side. Coming off Tuesday’s victory over UConn, the Huskies certainly expected to get out to a faster start than they did on Thursday afternoon. The home team did not manage to apply any real pressure to the Aggies — who sit in second-to-last place in a CAA conference that NU leads by 6.5 games — until the fourth inning, and did not record a run until the fifth frame.
In the top of the fifth, Jones surrendered a walk and a single to give the Aggies two baserunners to work with. The graduate student quickly went to work, however, forcing a groundout before recording a K and earning a free out with a brilliant pickoff move that caught the unsuspecting trailing base runner at first. With the side retired, the Huskies came to bat with a newfound sense of urgency in a 0-0 ballgame.
In the home half of the inning, small ball loomed large for a Northeastern side in need of runs. Lane got things started with a one-out single into right field, quickly followed by a single into center from third baseman Jack Doyle, who returned to the lineup for the first time in almost two weeks after a pinky injury.
“We wanted to get him in there today,” said Northeastern Coach Mike Glavine in the postgame. “He was focused and present today, and I thought he had a great day.”
Right fielder Ryan Gerety moved the runners along with a sacrifice bunt before A&T starter Jacob Halford plunked center fielder Cam Maldonado to load the bases with two away. A short grounder up the third baseline by Harrison Feinberg opened the scoring for NU on the next at-bat, as the dinky infield single drove in a run and kept the bases loaded. Shortstop Jack Goodman followed Feinberg and tacked on two more for Northeastern with a single up the middle before Halford was able to retire the side, and NU went into the sixth with a 3-0 lead.
The next two innings passed without any noteworthy action other than Coach Glavine going to the bullpen after the first out of the top of the sixth, preserving Jones’ coveted arm and calling on junior righty reliever Charlie Walker. Walker went to work quickly, but ran into some trouble in the top of the eighth. He beaned Aggies right fielder Bruce Wyche and then surrendered a rare homerun to A&T catcher Tyler Smith — just the seventh extra base hit allowed by Walker in 42 innings of work this season. The dinger cut the away team’s deficit to one run, bringing the score to 3-2. Walker retired the side two batters later, but the lead was no longer safe for NU.
Unfortunately for NC A&T, Northeastern’s bats finally snapped out of it as the game pulled back within striking distance. Halford, a reliever and closer without a start this season before Thursday’s game, remained on the mound to open the home half of the eighth despite his pitch count nearing 100. The Huskies smelled blood in the water with Halford noticeably tiring. Maldonado started the party with a walk, taking second for free after a pickoff attempt that was ruled a balk. Halford, visibly frustrated with the umpire’s call, proceeded to allow a Feinberg single that put runners on the corners. The speedy Feinberg swiped second and Goodman ripped a single into left field, recording his second and third RBIs of the afternoon. Fortunes seemed to be turning back to Halford’s side after he forced a Musacchia flyout and Jack Goodman was caught stealing second base, but singles from Brinker, catcher Will Fosberg, and Lane led to two more runs with two outs, extending the Northeastern advantage to 7-2.
With Halford’s pitch count reaching 120, Ben Hall mercifully pulled his exhausted starter, who pitched much better than the final statline suggests.
“I give that kid a ton of credit,” said a less-than-pleased Coach Glavine. “We didn’t get to him til 120 pitches… He was awesome.”
Hall went into his bullpen for freshman righty Taili Thompson, who struggled with his control. Thompson hit Doyle and allowed Lane to steal home on a wild pitch before walking Gerety to bring Maldonado to the plate for the second time that inning, this time with two men on base. Maldonado calmly drilled a ball way over the wall in deep left center, opening the game up to an 11-2 margin and all but shutting the door on a demoralized A&T side.
Brett Dunham entered the game to close things out for Northeastern in the top of the ninth. The senior retired the side quickly to end a game that was much closer than its final score indicates.
“We got away with one today,” Glavine said, “But it’s always good to be a little frustrated after a win… Business as usual, these games all matter to us.”
Northeastern fans will breathe a sigh of relief this evening as this special run continues into the weekend. The Aggies demonstrated that they can be a trap team for this high-flying Huskies bunch, and Coach Glavine will look for more discipline and a stronger showing from his bats early in the last two games of the series as NU closes out regular season conference play.
The Huskies will be back in action at Friedman Diamond on Friday, May 16th with another 2 p.m. first pitch against NC A&T. Armaan Vij, Dylan Black, and Zeno Minotti will have your call on WRBB Sports+.