Delaware Bullpen Can’t Sustain Late Lead as Northeastern Walks-Off with 4-3 Victory in the Tenth
May 13, 2011
Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell_lg.jpg)
• Boxscore
BROOKLINE, Mass. - - The Blue Hens took the lead with a three run eighth inning, but a two out, bases loaded single in the tenth sent Northeastern past the University of Delaware baseball team, 4-3, in the first game of the Colonial Athletic Association series on Friday afternoon at Friedman Diamond.
Steve Ulaky tied the game for Delaware (26-25, 15-13 CAA) with a one out double to left center and EJ Stoltzfus (above right) brought the go-ahead run home with two outs with a single into left field, but it wasn’t enough as Northeastern (17-29, 11-14 CAA) scored two unanswered runs to steal the ballgame.
Speedster Aaron Barbosa led off the bottom of the tenth with a single through the hole on the right side for the Huskies. After Steve Richter got Pete Castoldi to strike out, Barbosa set a Northeastern single season record with his 29th stolen base of the season. It was the third of the game for the freshman.
Jon Leroux and Matt Miller each worked a one out walk to load the bases, but Richter fired back and induced an infield fly by Ricky Salvucci for the second out. However, Richter wasn’t so fortunate against John Puttress as he sent a 1-1 pitch over the head of Alex Mottle in right, landing barely a foot inside the foul line for the game-winning hit.
The Blue Hens couldn’t string enough hits together off Husky’s starter Les Williams until the eighth inning when they crossed home plate three times. With one out, DJ Long and Pat Dameron hit back-to-back singles to put two runners on base. Ulaky stepped in and sent a 2-0 pitch to the gap in left center, one-hopping the wall. Long scored easily from second, and head coach Jim Sherman waved Dameron around as he slid in safely with the tying run.
With Ulaky on second, Nick Ferdinand flied out to center, but it was deep enough to move Ulaky up 90 feet. Now with two outs, Stoltzfus delivered a single over the head of the third baseman and into left field, easily plating Ulaky with the go-ahead run.
_lg.jpg)
But the Huskies would not roll over that easily as they came right back and knotted the score at 3-3 in the home half of the eighth. After starter Eric Young (below right) got the first out, Sherman went to the bullpen for the lefty-lefty matchup in Jeff Murray.
Barbosa got the best of Murray however, slap bunting a pitch down the third base line and easily beating the throw for a single. Pinch hitter Castoldi came up and immediately hit a double to left center as Barbosa sped around the bases with the tying run. Murray then got a pair of strikeouts to end the frame.
The Huskies almost ended the game in the bottom of the ninth, but an outstanding bare-handed grab and throw to first by Stoltzfus off a dribbler down the third base line got Alan Pastyrnak by a step at first to end the inning. Puttress was on third on the play and would have scored easily.
Young and Williams each pitched 7.1 innings and recorded four strikeouts, dueling back and forth through the first six innings. Young gave up two runs on six hits while Williams gave up three runs on eight hits, as each got a no decision.
Richter fell to 3-2 on the season with the loss while Husky closer Maki improved to 3-1. Stoltzfus, Dameron, and Chris Branigan all had two hits a piece to pace the Blue Hen offense. Barbosa went 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI on the day for Northeastern.
The Blue Hens will look to snap their current five-game losing streak as the series continues on Saturday when both teams return to Friedman Diamond for a 12 noon start.
AGATE:
Delaware….… 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 – 3 9 0
Northeastern… 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 – 4 10 1
E – Dunlap. DP – Delaware 2; Northeastern 1. LOB – Delaware 7; Northeastern 9. 2B – Ulaky (18); Branigan (5); Barbosa; Castoldi; Dunlap. 3B – Puttress. HBP – Anderson 2 (6). SH – Dunlap. SB – Barbosa 3. CS – Barbosa.
Win – Dylan Maki (3-1). Loss – Steve Richter (3-2). Save – None.
Back To Baseball Home Baseball Story Archive
