BROOKLINE — It took a little longer than the home crowd may have hoped, but Northeastern’s bats — led by sophomore centerfielder Ryan Gerety — ultimately came alive to give the Huskies a 6-3 victory over hometown-rival Harvard, their second win in as many days against the Crimson.
Neither team managed to advance a runner past first base in the opening frame. A couple walks and a stolen base put runners on the corners for the Huskies in the second inning, but it took five more innings before the game’s first run came across the plate in the top of the seventh. It was a true pitchers’ duel early between Northeastern’s Aiven Cabral —- who held the Crimson hitless through four —- and Harvard’s Truman Pauley, who kept Northeastern quiet through 6 ⅓. Both starters put on strong performances, going 6 ⅔ innings a piece, and combined for 16 strikeouts and a total of six hits.
Harvard junior Gio Collasante notched the game’s first hit, lacing a leadoff single up the middle in the top of the fifth. However, during the very next at-bat, shortstop Jack Goodman cleanly fielded a choppy ground ball before flipping it to Carmelo Musacchia, who made the force out at second and whipped a fastball to first baseman Eric Cha to complete the 6-4-3 double play. Crimson center fielder Matt Giberti grounded out to end the danger for the Huskies.
A scoreless sixth inning gave way to the game’s offensive turning point in the seventh frame. After a leadoff strikeout, Harvard catcher Sawyer Feller drew first blood, blasting a homerun — just his second total hit of the season — to deep left field. Seeing crimson, Harvard continued to attack a worn-out Cabral, as Collasante mashed a double to left field before a walk and a sacrifice bunt put Cabral in a real jam with runners in scoring position.
“I thought he was outstanding,” said Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine, when asked about his decision to leave Cabral in the game with a pitch count north of 100. ”We were one pitch away from him going seven-ish innings… I saw the old Aiven out there today.”
Glavine elected to bring in a fresh arm to prevent further damage. But the first batter faced by senior reliever Brett Dunham, Harvard right fielder George Cooper, poked a single to right field and drove in both runs. The righty retired the side quickly thereafter, but the damage was done. Harvard took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Outfielder Ryan Gerety stepped up to bat with one out in the bottom of the inning while the Huskies were down by three, and in desperate need of a spark. The sophomore put one high in the air and it just kept carrying, sneaking over the wall in left-center. Gerety’s solo shot took the lid off for the Huskies, representing Northeastern’s first hit, and run, of the day. Pauley’s sunny day turned cloudy in a hurry, as a single, hit-by-pitch, and walk in quick succession loaded the bases for the Huskies and prompted Harvard coach Bill Decker to finally make a call to the bullpen.
Freshman left-hander Luca Alagheband entered the game for the Crimson and struggled early. Huskies star outfielder Cam Maldonado, pinch-hitting for the freshman Cha, never had to move the bat off his shoulder to drive in the Huskies’ second run of the game on a six pitch walk. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Alex Lane was picked off at third base by Harvard’s Feller to end the inning.
Dunham retired the side without incident in the top of the eighth, bringing the Huskies to bat with teeth bared. Right-hander Will Burns took the mound for the Crimson, but found little success. The sophomore grew wild after Musacchia striped a double down the third base line, hitting Harrison Feinberg and walking Goodman to load the bases and bring Gerety back to the plate.
With Friedman Diamond buzzing, Gerety stepped up for his fourth try of the afternoon and launched his second dinger of the day, a tape measure blast and a grand slam for the sophomore. Eschewing any home run trot, Gerety streaked around the bases, arms up asking for noise from the crowd, before being mobbed by his teammates in front of the first base dugout. Gerety ultimately finished 2-3 with the first two home runs of his young career.
“Prototypical four-hitter,” Glavine said with a laugh. The undersized Gerety put up five RBI out of the cleanup slot. A pair of strikeouts ended the inning, but the game was broken open to a 6-3 Huskies advantage.
Down to their last gasp, the Crimson were greeted by Huskies star closer Jack Beauchesne. A leadoff double by catcher Sawyer Feller ended a solid day for the senior — 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI — but it was a wasted effort, as Beauchesne retired the next three batters in order to secure a series victory for the Huskies and record his third save of the season.
“[I just] tried to keep saying [Pauley’s] got a no-hitter as many times as possible,” Glavine said, describing his message to galvanize the Huskies as the bats remained quiet through the first six frames. “Just a wild college game and I’m proud of the way the guys competed for all nine innings.”
Looking forward to tomorrow, expect to see graduate left-hander Jordan Gottesman on the mound for the Huskies, as Glavine confirmed he would look to lock up the series sweep for Northeastern.
The Huskies will be back in action at Friedman Diamond on Sunday, with another 1 p.m. first pitch against the Crimson. Armaan Vij and Patrick O’Neal will have the call on WRBB Sports+.