HINKLE PITCHES DELAWARE PAST NORTHEASTERN, 3-2
Rob Washburn
Boxscore | Highlights
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 22, 2014) – Senior left-hander Brandon Hinkle overcame a shaky start and pitched fifth-seeded Delaware to a 3-2 triumph over #4 Northeastern in Game 6 of the 2014 CAA Baseball Championship Thursday night at Brooks Field.
The victory kept the Blue Hens (26-26) alive in the tournament and they will face #3 UNCW in another elimination game at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Northeastern (26-29) saw its season come to an end in the final game for head coach Neil McPhee, who is retiring after 29 seasons.
Hinkle (5-1) earned the win after scattering eight hits over eight innings and fanning four. He surrendered a pair of runs in the first, but then settled in to blank Northeastern for seven straight frames in a 137-pitch effort. Closer Luke Alicknavitch came on after a leadoff single in the ninth and retired three straight batters to pick up his sixth save.
Freshman Dustin Hunt (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season for NU after allowing four hits and a pair of earned runs over 3.2 innings. James Mulry and Mike Fitzgerald combined for 5.1 shutout frames out of the Huskies’ bullpen.
Northeastern jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Connor Lyons and Jason Vosler drew walks and came around to score on a one-out double to left by first baseman Brad Burcroff.
Delaware responded with all of the offense it would need in the top of the second. Alex Mottle walked to start the frame and advanced to third when Huskies’ shortstop Jason Vosler was unable to handle a Jake Clark grounder. Ryan Hartley followed with an RBI single through the left side that brought in Mottle. A sacrifice bunt by Cameron Travalini moved both runners into scoring position and catcher Ty Warrington delivered a two-RBI double to left that put the Blue Hens in front, 3-2.
Neither team was able to score after that. Northeastern loaded the bases in the third, but Hinkle escaped the jam with his first strikeout of the evening. Delaware, which had only two hits after the second, stranded a runner on third base in the eighth.
EJ Stoltzfus finished 3-for-3 and Hartley was 2-for-4 to pace the Blue Hens’ offense. Burcroff was the only NU player with multiple hits, finishing 3-for-4.