Jacob Oshinsky/WRBB Sports File
BROOKLINE — After a 21-5 seven-inning loss to UConn on Tuesday, Mike Glavine called for a “reset” entering a weekend CAA series with Monmouth, the conference’s top team.
Northeastern delivered on that call and followed a 0-for-8 RISP effort on Tuesday with a 4-for-9 showing en route to a 7–1 win on a cold, wet, and windy afternoon.
“It was a great win,” Glavine said. “It was great to start the series with a win and much needed, considering we haven’t been playing great. We had a nine-man attack today with the offense. Everyone on offense did something. I thought it was a total team effort.”
Glavine tasked junior Robbie O’Connor to face a Monmouth offense leading the CAA with a .299 team average. Jumping ahead with first pitch strikes to over 70% of Hawks batters, the right-hander shut down the Hawks through six innings of one-run baseball on four hits, a walk, and eight strikeouts.
“Robbie set the tone and pitched awesome,” Glavine said. “He went ahead and made pitches when he needed to. They are a tough offense. You have to execute pitches because if you don’t, they are gonna get you. He got his fastball where he needed to. He mixed and changed speeds.”
Monmouth head coach Dean Ehault gave the nod to sophomore Ryan Mealey, who had not pitched into the fifth inning. Yet Mealey gave his longest start of the season and tossed six frames with one blemished inning, the fourth.
Mealey almost got out of trouble, but Northeastern broke free.
With seniors Matt Brinker and Harrison Feinberg on first and second base, respectively, sophomore Cooper Tarantino grounded into a 5-3 unassisted double play. Following the twin killing, Northeastern had not recorded a hit with RISP in its last 13 at-bats and stood at 0-for-5 in the game.
However, redshirt freshman AJ Aschettino delivered the big hit, lacing a single to center that plated Feinberg. Then, sophomore Carter Bentley singled before freshman Charlie Criscola knocked in Aschettino and Bentley with a two-run single to right field and extended the lead 3–0.
“I thought we only had one or two bad at bats in those situations,” Glavine said of the improved RISP showing. “I thought we did a good job controlling the at bat and handling pitches [with RISP].”
The lone Monmouth run came in the sixth inning. O’Connor began the frame with a strikeout before the bases became loaded on two singles and a hit by a pitch. Then, senior Nick Lovarco made it a 3–1 game on a sacrifice fly to right field.
A second hit batsman reloaded the bases and, on his 93rd pitch of the game, O’Connor fanned junior RJ Mustaro with a wipeout slider to escape the jam.
Northeastern brought insurance in the seventh inning on back-to-back RBI doubles from senior Carmelo Musacchia and junior Ryan Gerety to extend the advantage 5-1. Then, Feinberg and Brinker, both in scoring position, scored on a two-base throwing error by junior catcher Brendan Buecker on a failed back pick attempt at third base.
Freshman phenom Cooper Maher closed out the game for Northeastern with three scoreless frames. Despite the cold, his fastball sat comfortably in the mid-90s.
“He’s not out there to start a series by accident,” Glavine said of Maher. “He’s earned that, and he’s our go-to guy now. There’s no question about it. We couldn’t wait to get to him today. That was the plan. He’s in attack mode with his three pitches. You can’t just sit fastball because he’s gonna throw two other pitches.”
Northeastern looks to take the series in game two against Monmouth on Friday. Amelia Ballingall has the call at 2:30 pm on Sports+.
Max Schwartzberg is a junior at Northeastern and covers hockey, basketball, and baseball in print and on air. He is also a Cape Cod Baseball League announcer for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. You can read his articles here and follow his Instagram here.