BROOKLINE — After being away at Stony Brook and Campbell for the last two weekends, Northeastern returned to Friedman Diamond on Friday for their first CAA games at home in April. Led by some stellar pitching from six members of their staff, and the continued offensive pressure of a few of their biggest names, the Huskies swept the doubleheader over the Hofstra Pride, securing their fourth conference series win of 2025.
Game One
Written by Max Schwartzberg
Hands were numb. Breaths were visible. Northeastern remained inevitable.
With heavy rain in the forecast on Saturday (4/12), the Huskies series with the Hofstra Pride began prematurely with an early 11:30 a.m. first pitch for game one of a doubleheader on a cold Friday.
Behind six strong innings of one-run baseball from graduate left-hander Will Jones and junior Jack Goodman’s four-RBI game, Northeastern cruised to a 6-1 victory to begin the day on the right foot.
Hofstra hurler Sean Hamilton retired nine of 10 to begin his day on the hill. With a slow start at the plate for NU, the Pride held a 1-0 lead until the last of the fourth when the Huskies broke out.
Juniors Cam Maldonado and Harrison Feinberg notched back-to-back singles for the first hits against Hamilton on the day. Then Goodman launched a no-doubt home run to left, giving Northeastern a 3-1 advantage.
The blast was all NU needed. After Jones went the first six, junior Charlie Walker closed out the final three frames scoreless despite a multitude of high-level at-bats, and the Huskies finally grabbed some insurance in the eighth inning.
Sophomore Ryan Gerety began the frame with a triple before junior Jack Doyle struck out. Hofstra’s pitcher wanted nothing to do with Maldonado and pitched around the star, walking him.
The next batter, Feinberg, took it personally, roping a two-run double off the left field wall to give the Huskies a 5-1 lead. Goodman plated his fourth run of the day on a single, which scored Feinberg and made it a five-run Northeastern lead.
Walker shut the door with a 1-2-3 ninth, solidifying the win and supplying the Huskies momentum for game two.
Game Two
Written by Chase Alexander
Northeastern defeated Hofstra in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader 9-0, securing a program-best eighth shutout of the season in the process.
Coming off the heels of the 6-1, first leg victory, the Huskies carried the momentum right into the first inning of the second half of the twinbill. After senior third baseman Jack Doyle singled from the leadoff spot, junior left fielder Harrison Feinberg belted a towering two-run home run to left center field.
Hofstra junior southpaw Jackson Bauer labored through the first inning, conceding a second two-run circuit shot to junior designated hitter Matt Brinker later in the frame. Piling the runs on early, Northeastern entered the second inning with a 4-0 lead.
Perhaps more impressively, junior starter Aiven Cabral began his second inning of work after delivering just six pitches to Hofstra’s first three batters.
“He’s been a guy for us all year long, and he did it again today,” said head coach Mike Glavine, crediting Cabral’s ability to enter his “attack mode” despite starting a day earlier than expected due to the doubleheader.
Cabral registered a quality start for the Huskies, tossing six scoreless innings alongside eight strikeouts. While Cabral kept the Hofstra bats quiet, the Northeastern offense added some quality insurance runs.
After a little bit of small-ball put junior second baseman Carmelo Musacchia in scoring position, it was the leadoff man, Doyle, who set the carousel in motion. Doyle grounded a seeing-eye single into center field in the fifth inning, extending the Husky lead to 5-0.
Pitted against a Hofstra team that came into Friday allowing a CAA-worst 87.4% stolen base percentage, Northeastern took advantage of the basepaths to mount pressure on the struggling Hofstra pitching staff. The Huskies were perfect in three attempts on the day, with Doyle stealing second before junior shortstop Jack Goodman drove in an additional three runs when he took Bauer deep to left field later in the inning. When the fifth frame concluded, Northeastern held a commanding 8-0 lead.
On the other side of the ball, the Huskies entered Friday’s doubleheader ranked 18th or better in six separate pitching categories. The staff dominated in game two with three relief arms succeeding Cabral to the tune of zero hits and just two base runners across three frames of work.
Northeastern added a run in the seventh inning, when Feinberg’s RBI single drove in junior center fielder Cam Maldonado.
“I thought we came out and did a much better job,” Glavine said, after being disappointed by a slow start in game one of the doubleheader. “Throw strikes, play solid defense and get some home runs and steal some bases has been our recipe, and so I’m happy with the way we’re playing; we’re playing really well.”
With the shutout victory, Northeastern sets a new program record for most single-season shutouts. The eighth shutout of the year surpasses the seven shutout mark achieved in 2016 and 2023, and leads the nation.
Northeastern will return to action against Hofstra on Sunday. Join Zeno Minotti, Luke Graham and Elli Einset for first pitch at 1 p.m. on WRBBSports+.