Huntington News

Issue date: 5/9/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: News Staff Photo/Eric Baumann Freshman pitcher Charly Bashara threw for 6 1/3 innings with seven hits and eight strickouts during Monday's 8-7 loss to Uconn.

Despite the Northeastern baseball team's current five-game slide, manager Neil McPhee is optimistic that they'll be able to break out of their slump. With two weeks left in the season and six of their final eight games against Colonial Athletics Association (CAA) opponents, they have to turn it around soon.

After today's 3 p.m. game with UMass at Friedman Diamond, the Huskies play three at conference doormat Hofstra starting Friday. A Tuesday tilt at Maine sets the stage for the final series of the season with CAA co-leader VCU, which starts next Thursday in Brookline. So while the Huskies have fallen to seventh in the league, there's still a chance to break the top six and make the CAA tournament.

NU closed out April with a 1-3 stint, getting swept by CAA-foe Delaware (16-5, 11-5, 8-1) and grabbing a win against Marist, 6-4, April 30. Unfortunately, the momentum was dashed with a loss at Harvard (4-3), another three-game defeat at UNC Wilmington (11-5, 3-2 in 11 innings, 14-5) and an 8-7 loss to UConn Monday afternoon at Friedman Diamond.

NU (21-17, 10-13 CAA) took a 6-4 lead into the ninth against UConn, but the "other" Huskies surged for four runs in their half of the inning. Senior captain Dan Milano (2-for-5, 2 RBI) smacked an RBI double in NU's half of the frame to cut the lead to one run and would eventually get to third with two outs, but UConn reliever Matt Karl got a game-ending strikeout to seal the victory.

"It was a tough one," sophomore left fielder Mike Tamsin (2-for-4, RBI) said. "UConn hung in there and we had them on the ropes. They kept chipping away, chipping away, and got timely hits. We played well, but they just came away with it."

The heart-breaking loss dampened solid performances from freshman pitcher Charly Bashara (6 1/3 innings, seven hits, eight strikeouts) on the mound and freshman right fielder/pitcher Frank Compagnone at the plate (3-for-5, two runs scored, RBI). Despite being handed their eighth loss in nine games, Tamsin said no one on the team is hitting the panic button, noting that the offense continues to produce at a solid pace.

Continued...

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