TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – The Huskies were out performed, out played, outwitted, out hit, out pitched, or however you want to categorize it. Nonetheless, Mississippi State lived up to their own hype, besting the Huskies 11-2 in Friday’s Tallahassee Regional.
Northeastern, who entered the tournament with all the adulation earned by their 27-game winning streak, fell flat against their power-four opponent in a game where very little went right.
“Obviously, not the result we wanted. [I’m] frustrated with the way we played tonight, just the whole thing,” said Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine after the loss. “I didn’t think we pitched well, we didn’t play good defense, we didn’t swing well and that all starts with me. I just feel like when we get on this big stage we’re just not ready to play… That’s not us.”
As Glavine points out, the Huskies’ hitting was underwhelming to say the least. They only registered five total hits as a team, and none of the first three batters in the order (Ryan Gerety, Cam Maldonado, and Harrison Feinberg) registered a hit. They also struggled to get consecutive hits, and the offense seemed to stagnate after the first and second innings where they were able to knock in some runs.
However, the story of the day — and for the Huskies, their largest issue -– was ace starter Will Jones’ “uncharacteristic” performance that could not have come at a worse time. Jones only lasted 2.2 innings on the bump, allowing six hits, seven runs, two walks, and recording just three strikeouts. Jones also picked up his first loss on the season, in a game that very well may have been his last collegiate appearance.
“Obviously, we’re facing a great offense here, so you have to execute and sometimes you just try to be too fine,” said Glavine about Jones’ performance. “So [yeah], it was uncharacteristic in a way.”
The one bright spot, in a game that will certainly leave a sour taste in Husky fans’ mouth, was reliever Jack Bowery. The Senior entered the game in the third with the exit of Jones and stood strong on the rubber for the Huskies through 5.2 innings – matching his second-most on the year.
In the end, Bowery allowed six hits and four runs (one homer), and just four strikeouts, but the numbers do not tell the full story. He held Mississippi State scoreless for five innings; it only started to get away from him later on.
“I know I can compete with anybody,” Bowery said was his thought process when entering the third inning in a five run deficit. “Not only can I trust myself, but I can [also] trust my defense.”
But, Bowery’s outing does not dismiss the disappointing truth, Friday was a mess for the Huskies. They now find themselves with their backs against the wall and their season on the line. Plus, it may be hard for them to dispel the questions that will likely stir about their ability to compete against top-end talent. Saturday’s game with Bethune-Cookman becomes a must win for so many reasons.
The Huskies return to the field in Tallahassee, Fla, on Saturday, May 31, at 1:06 PM. to play the bracket’s No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman. Tune in to WRBBsports to join Zeno Minotti and Luke Graham for the call as the Huskies play for their season.
Luke Graham is the Digital Content Manager for WRBBsports. He also is a Northeastern Hockey and Baseball writer/broadcaster. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X here.