DUKES NO-HIT BY NORTHEASTERN'S OTTAVINO

Friday, April 7

Brookline, Mass.

TBA

James Madison University

20-12, 0

Northeastern

13-10, 0

James Madison

Northeastern

4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

BOSTON, April 7, 2006 — James Madison's first baseball game in Massachusetts will be one the Dukes will want to forget. Northeastern University junior right-hander Adam Ottavino (Brooklyn, N.Y./Berkely Carroll) tossed a no-hitter and struck out a career-high 14 in leading the Huskies to a 2-0 win against the Dukes Friday afternoon in Colonial Athletic Association play at Friedman Diamond.

Ottavino, the 2005 America East Pitcher of the Year, walked three while throwing the Huskies' eighth no-hitter in school history. The Dukes managed five baserunners for the game, getting two on errors. Only one player got into scoring position and that was also due to an error. Ottavino retired the final 11 batters he faced.

Redshirt senior Greg Nesbitt (Drumore, Pa./Solanco) also went the distance in his starting assignment but was tagged with the hard-luck loss for the Dukes, slipping to 4-3. He scattered six hits, walked one and fanned eight in eight innings in his first CAA-series opener this season.

Northeastern senior shortstop Arman Sidhu (Mississauga, Ontario/Rich Hansen) hit a solo homer in the first inning and the lead stayed 1-0 until the sixth. Sidhu also scored the Huskies second run when he tripled and scored on a single by senior catcher Matt Morizio (Waltham, Mass./Waltham). Sidhu lofted a high ball that fell in between charging freshman center fielder Matt Towsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) and retreating senior second baseman Michael Cowgill (Lexington, Ky./Henry Clay). The two Dukes collided, effectively taking one another out on the play, and allowing Sidhu to advance all the way to third. Morizio's single came one out later and was another looping ball that fell just beyond Cowgill in shallow right-center.

Several JMU batters appeared to have registered hits once they struck the ball, but with each opportunity the NU defender seemed to be perfectly placed in the usual holes through the infield. Redshirt junior designated hitter Dan Santobianco (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) hit the deepest ball, but it was to straight-away center field, which is a mere 435 feet deep. Cowgill gave the Dukes hope with a runner on in the sixth when he sent a blast to right-center, but it faded and was tracked down by NU senior center fielder Chris Emanuele (Mississauga, Ontario/Michael Power) for an out.
The third-place Dukes (20-12, 9-4 CAA) and second-place Huskies (13-10, 8-2) meet for game two Saturday and 1 p.m. and game three Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on JMUSports.com Dukes Audio.