FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
BOSTON, Mass. – Junior Jeff Thomson hurled a complete game as Northeastern snapped UNC Wilmington’s 21-game winning streak with a 6-4 victory in game one of a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader on Saturday at Friedman Diamond. UNCW earned a split of the twinbill behind Brad Holt’s 1-hitter in an 11-1 win in the nightcap.
The Seahawks had their nation-leading winning streak halted in the opener, but improved to 23-5 overall and 13-1 in the CAA with the split. The Huskies, meanwhile, ran their record to 11-12 and 4-7.
“We knew it was coming to an end at some point, but I was eager to see how we would respond,” said Head Coach Mark Scalf. “Brad’s performance set the tone for us in the and our lineup responded with quality at bats throughout the game.”
Seahawk sophomore starter Seth Frankoff (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season while Holt improved to 5-1 while facing just 25 batters in the second game.
Thomson (4-1) struck out three, walked one and allowed four runs on nine hits in leading NU to a win. In game two, though, UNCW roughed up Dan Zehr (1-2) for nine runs on 11 hits in five innings.
In the opener, the Huskies grabbed a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second as junior Frank Pesanello slammed a 3-run shot to left, his ninth of the season, off Frankoff. NU added a run later in the inning on a wild pitch to close out the scoring.
UNCW got one of the runs back in the third when senior Daniel Hargrave doubled to left, scoring sophomore Mike Rooney, who was hit by a pitch leading off.
NU plated two more in the third for a 6-1 lead with sophomore Frank Campagnone scoring on an infield error and senior Mike Lyon, who doubled one batter earlier, scored when and error was committed on the same play.
Back-to-back homers by freshman Cody Stanley and senior Jes Snyder narrowed UNCW’s deficit to 6-3 in the fourth.
Stanley plated the final run of the game in the sixth with a fielder’s choice to make it 6-4.
Senior Larry Salefsky held the Huskies in check after relieving Frankoff with five innings of 2-hit, scoreless relief.
In game two, UNCW trailed 1-0 after Pesanello connected on his second homer of the day, and 10th of the season, in the second inning off Holt.
The Seahawks responded with four runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Senior Nate Hall’s 3-run shot to left off Zehr with two outs highlighted the inning.
After allowing the homer in the second, Holt settled down and allowed just two hit batters the rest of the way while striking out seven. No runners reached second base after the second inning.
UNCW put the game out of reach in the sixth, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs for an 11-1 lead. Zehr allowed five straight hits to open the inning before making way for sophomore Charly Bashara, who was tagged for a grand slam off the bat of senior Mark Carver later in the inning.
Holt’s 1-hitter was the first for the Seahawks since 1992 when Heath Altman allowed one hit in a 3-0 shutout of Virginia Commonwealth on Feb. 22. That game was also Head Coach Mark Scalf’s first career win.
The series concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. start.
