COBLESKILL, N.Y. – The Husson University baseball team opened play in the 2024 North Atlantic Conference tournament on Thursday morning and picked up a 4-1 win over Eastern Nazarene College, behind 8.1 innings from junior Matt Wallingford at Fighting Tiger Field.

Husson (21-10) found pay-dirt in the opening-inning of play, as senior Jackson Curtis continued his hot-streak at the plate by singling home sophomore Keegan Cyr, following his walk to start the inning.

Sophomore Hunter Curtis kept the inning alive for the Eagles by reaching base on an error from the Eastern Nazarene (12-20-1) shortstop, which allowed J. Curtis and sophomore Cam Rendell to score, giving Husson a 3-0 lead after one inning.

The Lions shaved one run off the deficit in the visitor-half of the fourth inning courtesy of a sacrifice fly to left field, which plated an unearned run after a miscue from Husson moved an Eastern Nazarene runner up 90-feet earlier on in the inning.

Sophomore Colin Marshall provided the Eagles with an insurance run in the home-half of the sixth with an RBI-double that scored freshman Kevin Connolly after he doubled previously in the frame to make it 4-1 Husson.

Wallingford bogged-down the Lions' offense as long as he could, but gave-way to senior Ryan Robb with one out in the ninth inning, as Robb surrendered one runner in the inning because of an error from the Husson defense, but retired the other two batters he faced to pick up his third save of the season.

J. Curtis led all Husson hitters at the plate with two hits, while Marshall, Connolly, Rendell and freshman Matt Holmes posted one base-knock each. Cyr provided strong plate-discipline at the plate for the Eagles by drawing three walks.

Wallingford allowed just three hits and three walks to go along with his one unearned run on the day, while posting eight strikeouts.

The Eagles advance to the winner's bracket portion of the NAC tournament and will face the winner of Lesley University and SUNY Cobleskill tomorrow at 12 p.m.