BROOKLINE — Saturday afternoon, the Huskies got set for the third game of a weekend series against Monmouth, and it was a crucial contest for both teams. Neck-and-neck at the top of the CAA North, a win on Saturday would mean a huge boost in the conference standings and give one team the advantage if they draw even at the end of 2026. After leaving numbers aboard in an 8-6 loss, the Huskies rallied back overnight, routing the Hawks with a 13-1 mercy-rule walkoff win in eight innings.
“I’m like multiple personalities here because the team’s driving me crazy,” said head coach Mike Glavine. “Today I’m happy, yesterday I was not. This is what we can do if we put our minds to it.”
The Hawks opened up the scoreboard early, when Monmouth’s Chris Walsh lasered a two-out solo shot over the left field wall at the top of the first.
But that would prove to be Monmouth’s only run of the day, as the Huskies responded swiftly and aggressively, and never looked back.
In the bottom of the frame, Northeastern worked their way through the entire order, knocking through five runs in the process to take a 5-1 lead over Monmouth. The Huskies loaded the bases on one out, bringing redshirt freshman AJ Aschettino to the dish. Aschettino got behind on the count, but battled his way to a two-RBI double to put Northeastern on top.
Cooper Tarantino grounded out to give Monmouth the second out of the inning, but the Huskies still had plenty left in the tank, especially with Aschettino advancing to third on the play. Carter Bentley drew a four-pitch walk and stole second, giving Charlie Criscola the chance for some magic at the plate. Criscola’s hit was a roller that never left the infield, but if there’s one thing the Huskies have done consistently well this season, it’s run. Aschettino booked it home as Criscola beat out the throw to first. Meanwhile, Carter Bentley took everyone by surprise, making a mad dash to round the bases in front of Walsh’s desperate throw towards home plate.
With that kind of damage, Monmouth starting pitcher Brendan Kenneally didn’t last much longer. After he walked two in the third, Hawks head coach Dean Ehehalt opted to hand the ball to righty freshman Cory Pascarella. The rookie went the deepest of the Monmouth pitching staff, lasting four innings while giving up two hits, three walks, and just one earned run.
Another run was tabbed to fellow Monmouth reliever Jake Danyluk, who went just 0.2 innings after giving up a home run to Tarantino.
In the eight, Monmouth brought out senior David Horvath to try to give the Hawks one last chance to fight back, but he did anything but. The veteran reliever didn’t even notch an out during his stint on the mound and instead the Huskies walloped six straight hits against him, highlighted by a Ryan Gerety bases-clearing double and a Matt Brinker walk-off home run to win it.
Meanwhile, the Northeastern pitching staff fared well. Starter Ryan Griffin settled into a healthy routine of early fastballs to get ahead on the count time and again, picking up an uncharacteristic nine Ks through his six innings of work.
And the Hawks didn’t even have a chance when Andrew Rogovic stepped on the mound, pulling out back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to leave the door wide open for a run-rule Huskies win.
For a Northeastern pitching group that typically favors soft contact to punch-out pitching, the collective 14 Ks they chalked up was a dagger to a CAA-leading Monmouth offense.
“That’s impressive because that’s a good offense. They don’t strike out,” Glavine said. “I’m not surprised they had that many, but I am surprised a little bit because again what Monmouth can do at the plate… That was the Ryan Griffin that we saw at LSU.”
On the offensive side, the Huskies had notable success driving in runners in scoring position. Northeastern went 7-for-13 in that category on Saturday after struggling with runners on in Friday’s contest.
Coming into Saturday, Glavine said the message to the team was to “hold each other to a higher standard.”
“It’s all there and we just have to put it together now consistently,” Glavine said. “There’s more in the tank.”
The Huskies will ride this high into the upcoming baseball Beanpot tournament, which commences Tuesday afternoon with Northeastern facing Harvard at 3:00 p.m. Jacob Phillips and Daisy Roberts will be live with the call of the semifinals from O’Donnell Field.
Amelia Ballingall is the Editor-in-Chief for WRBB Sports. She has been a writer and broadcaster with the organization since 2022, and is a color analyst for UConn women’s hockey on ESPN+. You can read more of her work here.