In the most important game of the season to date the Huskies came away winners over Virginia Commonwealth leaving them in nice position for the stretch run. Northeastern had to battle back all game as the pesky Rams continually tied the game but in the end the Huskies would prevail 6-5.
Virginia Commonwealth opened the game scoring a run in each of the first three innings but the Huskies would respond in the fourth bringing their first runs across. Matt Miller lead the inning off with a single to left. Miller was moved to second when Frank Compagnone drew a four pitch walk. With runners on first and second Mike Tamsin drilled a hit up the middle to score Miller.
Brendon Stokes hit a single down the right field line scoring Compagnone from second and moving Tamsin to third to bring the Huskies within a run at the end of the fourth.
The Huskies tied the game in the fifth inning when Ryan Maguire lifted his second home run of the season to left field. Maguire has been a spark plug for the Huskies this season and now is batting .286, up from his .181 his freshman campaign.
The Huskies took their first lead of the game in the sixth inning when Mike Tamsin scored off a Brendan Stokes grounder to third. Tamsin reached base with his ninth double of the season. Tamsin now has 45 doubles in his career as a Husky tying him fourth all time with Omar Pena (2000-03).
Les Williams pitched six innings for the Huskies striking out six and allowing three runs to scored, only two of the runs being earned. Andrew Leenhouts came in for the seventh and allowed the tying run to come across on a sacrifice fly tying the game at four.
The Huskies regained the lead in the seventh inning when Frank Compagnone hit a double down the right field line scoring Miller from first.
Dan Zehr entered the ball game with one away in the eighth inning and two runners aboard. Zehr forced Richard Gonzalez to fly to right but Ryan Caldwell was able to tag up and move to third leaving runners on the corners with two outs. Zehr got pinch hitter Taylor Perkins to ground to short where Sam Berg touched second for the force out to end the inning and allow the Huskies to escape the jam with the lead in tact.
The Huskies added an insurance run which they would end up needing in the bottom of the eighth inning when David Gustafson hit a single to right that scored Frank Pesanello from second base making it a 6-4 Huskies edge.
Zehr returned to the mound in the top of the ninth inning. Zehr got M.L. Morgan to strike out swinging for the first out of the inning. After two straight hits landed runners on the corners Joe Van Meter made it a one run ball game with a sacrifice fly. The Rams were able to load the bases with two outs but Dan Zehr was able to get Matt Leskiw to strike out to end the threat.
The save is the fifth of the season for Zehr. Zehr has nine saves in his career, tying him for the all time saves mark at Northeastern.
Next up for the Huskies is a non-conference game with UConn Monday at 3 p.m. at Friedman Diamond.
Northeastern University Baseball
Va. Commonwealth at Northeastern
Apr 26, 2009 at Brookline, Mass. (Friedman Diamond)
Va. Commonwealth 5 (19-17,7-8 CAA)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Dimino, Andrew cf........ 3 2 1 0 1 1 3 0 2
Perkins, Taylor ph/rf... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Morgan, M.L. dh.......... 5 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0
Otto, Doug ss............ 4 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 0
Schenk, R.J. 1b.......... 3 0 1 1 0 0 7 1 0
Cheatham, Michael 1b.... 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Nice, Paul pr........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Van Meter, Joe 3b........ 4 0 0 1 0 3 2 2 4
Wright, Justin rf........ 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Alford, Josh ph......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Caldwell, Ryan pr/lf.... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Furry, Nate ph.......... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez, Carlos c...... 4 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0
Leskiw, Matt lf/cf....... 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 0 3
Gonzalez, Richard 2b..... 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 1
Cutler-Voltz, Seth p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Morgan, Aaron p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Totals................... 34 5 11 5 4 10 24 8 12
Northeastern 6 (22-15,8-7 CAA)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Miller, Matt rf.......... 5 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 2
Compagnone, Frank 1b/lf.. 3 1 1 1 1 0 2 0 0
Tamsin, Mike 3b/1b....... 3 1 2 1 1 0 6 0 0
Donaldson, James 2b...... 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2
Pesanello, Frank c....... 3 1 1 0 1 2 10 1 0
Stokes, Brendan dh....... 4 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0
Dunlap, Jeff lf.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Berg, Sam ss............ 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3
Gustafson, David cf...... 4 0 1 1 0 1 4 0 0
Maguire, Ryan ss/3b...... 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Williams, Les p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Leenhouts, Andrew p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Zehr, Dan p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 33 6 9 6 4 6 27 7 7
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Va. Commonwealth.... 111 000 101 - 5 11 0
Northeastern........ 000 211 11X - 6 9 3
-------------------------------------------
E - Dunlap; Leenhouts; Zehr. LOB - VCU 12; NU 7. 2B - Dimino, A.; Otto, D.;
Compagnone; Tamsin. HR - Maguire. HBP - Alford, J.. SH - Otto, D.;
Rodriguez, C. SF - Cheatham, M.; Van Meter, J; Gonzalez, R.. SB - Morgan,
M.L. 2; Leskiw, M.; Pesanello. CS - Gonzalez, R..
Va. Commonwealth IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Cutler-Voltz, Seth.. 5.1 5 4 4 2 3 21 23
Morgan, Aaron....... 2.2 4 2 2 2 3 12 14
Northeastern IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Williams, Les....... 6.0 8 3 2 2 6 24 27
Leenhouts, Andrew... 1.1 0 1 0 2 2 3 8
Zehr, Dan........... 1.2 3 1 1 0 2 7 9
Win - Leenhouts (1-1). Loss - Morgan, A. (3-2). Save - Zehr (5).
WP - Morgan, A.. HBP - by Leenhouts (Alford, J.).
Umpires -
Start: 1 p.m. Time: 2:44 Attendance: 129
Weather: Sunny, 80's
Game: GAME37
Play-by-Play
Northeastern University Baseball
Va. Commonwealth at Northeastern - Play-by-Play
Apr 26, 2009 at Brookline, Mass. (Friedman Diamond)
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Va. Commonwealth.... 111 000 101 - 5 11 0
Northeastern........ 000 211 11X - 6 9 3
-------------------------------------------
Va. Commonwealth starters: 28/cf Dimino, A.; 19/dh Morgan, M.L.; 6/ss Otto, D.;
9/1b Schenk, R.J.; 4/3b Van Meter, J; 2/rf Wright, J.; 18/c Rodriguez, C; 13/lf
Leskiw, M.; 11/2b Gonzalez, R.; 21/p Cutler-Voltz;
Northeastern starters: 19/rf Miller; 4/1b Compagnone; 6/3b Tamsin; 33/2b
Donaldson; 11/c Pesanello; 17/dh Stokes; 35/lf Dunlap; 9/cf Gustafson; 41/ss
Maguire; 3/p Williams;
Va. Commonwealth 1st - Dimino, A. struck out swinging. Morgan, M.L.
singled up the middle. Otto, D. struck out swinging. Morgan, M.L. stole second.
Schenk, R.J. singled, advanced to second on an error by lf, advanced to third,
RBI; Morgan, M.L. scored, unearned. Van Meter, J struck out looking. 1 run,
2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 1st - Miller out at first 1b to p. Compagnone grounded out
to 2b. Tamsin grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 2nd - Compagnone to lf. Tamsin to 1b. Berg to ss for
Dunlap. Maguire to 3b. Wright, J. flied out to rf. Rodriguez, C struck out
looking. Leskiw, M. singled down the lf line. Leskiw, M. stole second.
Gonzalez, R. singled to left field, RBI; Leskiw, M. scored. Gonzalez, R. out at
second c to ss, caught stealing. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northeastern 2nd - Donaldson grounded out to 2b. Pesanello struck out
looking. Stokes flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 3rd - Dimino, A. doubled to center field. Morgan, M.L.
singled down the rf line, RBI; Dimino, A. scored. Otto, D. lined out to lf.
Schenk, R.J. grounded out to 2b; Morgan, M.L. advanced to second. Van Meter, J
flied out to cf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 3rd - Berg lined out to 3b. Gustafson grounded out to ss.
Maguire flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 4th - Wright, J. grounded out to 1b unassisted.
Rodriguez, C lined out to cf. Leskiw, M. walked. Gonzalez, R. singled up the
middle; Leskiw, M. advanced to second. Dimino, A. grounded out to p. 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Northeastern 4th - Miller singled to left field. Compagnone walked;
Miller advanced to second. Tamsin singled up the middle, RBI; Compagnone
advanced to second; Miller scored. Donaldson flied out to cf. Pesanello struck
out swinging. Stokes singled, interference, advanced to second, RBI; Tamsin
advanced to third; Compagnone scored. Berg struck out swinging. 2 runs, 3
hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 5th - Morgan, M.L. singled up the middle. Otto, D.
grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; Morgan, M.L. advanced to second. Schenk, R.J.
grounded out to p. Van Meter, J struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 5th - Gustafson flied out to cf. Maguire homered to left
field, RBI. Miller lined out to lf. Compagnone grounded out to ss. 1 run, 1
hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 6th - Wright, J. struck out swinging. Rodriguez, C
flied out to cf. Leskiw, M. walked. Gonzalez, R. grounded out to 2b. 0 runs,
0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 6th - Tamsin doubled to left center. Donaldson grounded out
to 3b; Tamsin advanced to third. Pesanello walked. Morgan, A. to p for
Cutler-Voltz. Stokes out at first 3b to p, RBI; Pesanello advanced to second;
Tamsin scored. Berg grounded out to 1b unassisted. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 7th - Leenhouts to p for Williams. Dimino, A. walked.
Morgan, M.L. reached on an error by p, bunt; Dimino, A. advanced to third.
Otto, D. struck out looking; Morgan, M.L. stole second. Cheatham, M. to 1b for
Schenk, R.J.. Cheatham, M. flied out to cf, SF, RBI; Morgan, M.L. advanced to
third; Dimino, A. scored, unearned. Van Meter, J struck out swinging. 1 run,
0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Northeastern 7th - Gustafson struck out swinging. Maguire flied out to
rf. Miller singled up the middle. Compagnone doubled down the rf line, RBI;
Miller scored. Tamsin intentionally walked. Donaldson reached on a fielder's
choice; Tamsin advanced to second; Compagnone out at third 3b unassisted. 1
run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 8th - Alford, J. pinch hit for Wright, J.. Alford, J.
hit by pitch. Rodriguez, C out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt; Alford, J. advanced
to second. Leskiw, M. walked. Zehr to p for Leenhouts. Caldwell, R. pinch ran
for Alford, J.. Gonzalez, R. flied out to rf, SF; Caldwell, R. advanced to
third. Perkins, T. pinch hit for Dimino, A.. Perkins, T. reached on a fielder's
choice; Leskiw, M. out at second ss unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2
LOB.
Northeastern 8th - Perkins, T. to rf. Caldwell, R. to lf. Leskiw, M. to
cf. Pesanello singled to right field. Stokes struck out swinging; Pesanello
stole second. Berg fouled out to rf. Gustafson singled, advanced to second on
the throw, RBI; Pesanello scored. Maguire intentionally walked. Maguire
advanced to second on a wild pitch; Gustafson advanced to third on a wild
pitch. Miller struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Va. Commonwealth 9th - Morgan, M.L. struck out swinging. Otto, D.
doubled, ground-rule. Cheatham, M. singled to left field; Otto, D. advanced to
third. Van Meter, J flied out to lf, SF, RBI; Otto, D. scored. Furry, N. pinch
hit for Caldwell, R.. Nice, Paul pinch ran for Cheatham, M.. Furry, N. singled
up the middle; Nice, Paul advanced to second. Rodriguez, C reached on an error
by p; Furry, N. advanced to second; Nice, Paul advanced to third. Leskiw, M.
struck out swinging. 1 run, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB.