BROOKLINE, Mass.. – The Elon University baseball team saw its four-game road winning streak come to a close in game one of a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader as the Phoenix dropped the series opener at Northeastern by a 7-1 margin. The Huskies then rallied to earn the win in game two by a 6-5 margin.
Game One Box | Play-by-Play
Game Two Box | Play-by-Play
Elon now sits at 17-14 overall and 4-4 in CAA play, while the Huskies are now 17-10, 4-1.
Over the two games, Elon’s Liam O’Regan went 3-for-8 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Zach Evers went 2-for-8 with two runs and a pair of RBI.
For Northeastern, Charlie McConnell was a combined 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI and Max Burt went 3-for-7 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Kyle Brnovich (4-1) allowed just one earned run (seven total) and struck out 10 hitters over 6.2 innings, but suffered his first loss of the season in game one. He surrendered six hits. Robbie Welhaf (2-4) took the loss in the nightcap, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits in 2.0 innings. Starter George Kirby struck out seven hitters and allowed four runs over 6.0 innings.
Husky starter Tyler Brown (3-2) earned the win in the opener after he limited the Phoenix to one unearned run on one hit over 6.0 innings. Kyle Murphy allowed three hits over the final 3.0 innings to pick up his fourth save of the year. Andrew Misiaszek (1-0) garnered the win in game two. He threw 2.0 shutout innings to pick up the win.
How It Happened (Game 1): Northeastern was able to jump on top in the opening inning. McConnell was hit by a pitch to open the frame and moved to second on a one-out ground out to third. McConnell rounded third on an infield single, but the throw home was dropped and he scored to make it a 1-0 contest.
The Phoenix evened things up with a run in the third. O’Regan reached on an error to start the inning, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Zach Evers then bounced one down the third base line for a double to drive home O’Regan.
The Huskies went on top for good in the fourth. With one away, a walk and single put two aboard. After a passed ball advanced both runners, Brnovich recorded the second out of the frame with a strikeout. Ian Fair’s two-out infield single let both runners come home to give Northeastern a 3-1 advantage.
Elon looked like it was going to do some damage in the top of the seventh. The inning started with an O’Regan single, Matt Oldham walk and Josh Broughton bunt single to load the bases. The Huskies were able to avoid giving up any runs that frame by getting a strikeout and a double play ball, the third twin-killing of the game.
Northeastern carried that momentum into the bottom half and pushed across four runs, including two on a Burt single, to complete the scoring in game one.
How It Happened (Game 2): With the game even at five with two outs and a runner on first in the last of the eighth, a fly ball was dropped and put runners on the corners for the Huskies. John Mazza made the Phoenix pay for the error with a single to right that drove home the game-winning run.
The Huskies were the first to strike in game two as well. In the last of the third, a one-out walk was followed by a McConnell double to put two in scoring position. Cam Walsh’s infield single allowed the first run to cross the plate before a hit batter loaded the bases. A sharp grounder to first was fielded, but the only play was to step on the bag for out number two as a second run came home. A slow bouncer over the mound resulted in an infield, RBI single for Burt that made it 3-0.
Elon answered with a pair in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Joe Satterfield ripped a double to the gap in left. A hit batter and walk loaded the bases before Shawn Blake grounded a ball through the right side for an RBI single. The throw in was errant and allowed a second run to come home, cutting Elon’s deficit to 3-2. The Phoenix was unable to tack on any more that inning, however, as a ground ball to third ended the frame.
After Northeastern scored one on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth, the Phoenix knotted things up at four in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third with two outs, O’Regan lined a single to center to drive home a pair.
Elon then grabbed the lead in the sixth when Evers’ two-out single up the middle scored Blake.
McConnell would tie things back up in the seventh with a one-out homer to right.
Notes: Satterfield has reached safely in 21 straight contests, while Cam Devanney has reached in 18 straight… Northeastern claims the regular season series victory for the first time since Elon joined the league for the 2015 season.
On Deck: Elon and Northeastern will wrap up this three-game series on Sunday, April 8. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.