Viera's Walk-Off Homer In The 10th Lifts Northeastern To 11-10 Win Over UNCW To Capture First CAA Baseball Title
Rob Washburn
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WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 30, 2021) – Freshman Max Viera hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10
th inning to give top-seeded Northeastern a thrilling 11-10 victory over #2 UNCW to capture its first CAA Baseball Championship on Sunday afternoon at Brooks Field.
The Huskies (36-10) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Championship, whose 64-team field will be announced on Monday afternoon. UNCW, which was making its sixth consecutive appearance in the CAA title game, dropped to 32-22 after the loss.
Northeastern outfielder Ben Malgeri was selected as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after going 2-for-5 with two homers and three RBI’s, while Viera was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and two driven in.
Brian Rodriguez (3-0), the Huskies’ eighth pitcher of the afternoon, earned the win after throwing two scoreless innings.
UNCW was led offensively by leadoff hitter Brooks Baldwin, who was 3-for-6 with a pair of homers and three RBI’s, while Noah Bridges was 2-for-4 and drove in two. Landen Roupp (8-5), who threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout on Thursday, struck out nine in 3.2 innings of relief, but suffered the loss.
In a back-and-forth affair that featured 22 combined hits, including six homers, Viera delivered the game’s biggest blow. With the game tied at 10-10, the Huskies’ second baseman smacked his fifth homer of the season over the fence in left-center.
UNCW overcame an early four-run deficit and took its first lead of the game, 10-9, in the top of the eighth. With two on and two outs, Bridges lined a two-run single through the right side to put the Seahawks up by one.
Northeastern tied the game at 10-10 in the bottom of the ninth when Malgeri led off the inning with his second homer of the game, and fifth of the tournament, to center.
The offensive fireworks started early. Viera drew a one-out walk in the first and Jared Dupere followed with a towering blast to right-center for his program-record 21
st homer of the season and fourth of the tournament.
UNCW tied it up in the top of the third. Jac Croom scored on an error after drawing a leadoff walk and Matt Suggs’ single plated Baldwin.
The Huskies answered back by tallying four runs in the bottom of the third. Jeff Costello scored on a groundout after walking to start the frame and Danny’s Crossen’s RBI single plated Dupere. With two on and two out, Ian Fair lined a two-run double to the gap in left-center, putting NU ahead 6-2.
In the fourth, UNCW’s Kip Brandenburg was hit by a pitch and quickly scored on Croom’s triple into the right-field corner. One out later, Baldwin launched a two-run shot off the batter’s eye in dead center to trim the deficit to 6-5.
Both teams tacked on a run in the fifth. The Seahawks’ Dillon Lifrieri led off with a single and came home on a one-out base hit by Brandenburg. The Huskies regained a 7-6 lead in the bottom half as Malgeri homered to dead center.
UNCW’s Baldwin knotted the game at 7-7 in the top of the sixth after hitting his second homer of the day off the right-field foul pole. The Huskies responded quickly in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with one out. A walk to Danny Crossen forced in one run and Malgeri drove in another on a fielder’s choice.
The Seahawks pulled within 9-8 in the seventh. Bridges singled, moved to third on a stolen base and throwing error, and scored on Croom’s sacrifice fly.
Northeastern, which tied its program record for victories, will make its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. The Huskies received an at-large bid in 2018.
CAA All-Tournament Team
Ty Good, Charleston
Tanner Steffy, Charleston
Brooks Baldwin, UNCW
Landen Roupp, UNCW
Matt Suggs, UNCW
Cole Weiss, UNCW
Jared Dupere, Northeastern
Ian Fair, Northeastern
Cam Schlittler, Northeastern
Max Viera, Northeastern
Most Outstanding Player: Ben Malgeri, Northeastern