BOSTON (Interstat) — Andrew Basel delivered a dominant performance on the mound, and the Northeastern Huskies capitalized on early opportunities to defeat the Harvard Crimson 4-1 in a non-conference matchup Wednesday evening at Joseph J. O’Donnell Field.

The game’s decisive moment came in the top of the second inning, when the Huskies, despite being held to just three hits in the game, pushed across three runs to establish a lead they would not relinquish. After Luca Alagheband started for Harvard, the Crimson turned to Owen Tahnk and then Davis Kahn in the frame. Northeastern loaded the bases with a walk and a hit batter. Mike Criscola then drove in the game’s first run with an infield single. Two batters later, with Kahn on the mound, shortstop Carmelo Musacchia delivered the key blow, a two-run single through the left side to score Criscola and Luke Aschettino, staking the Huskies to a 3-0 advantage.

That was more than enough support for Basel, the Northeastern starter who was the unequivocal star of the game. The right-hander silenced the Harvard bats over five strong innings, allowing no hits and one unearned run. He struck out six and walked two, bouncing back emphatically from a recent rough outing against Hofstra on March 29. Basel’s command set the tone, and the Huskies’ bullpen preserved the no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Harvard broke up the combined no-hit bid in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Joseph Hauser when Tyler Shulman singled to left field. The Crimson’s lone run came in the third inning off Basel, sparked by a fielding error. Logan Wilson and George Smith singled, and Jack Rickheim followed with an RBI single through the left side to plate Wilson. Harvard threatened further, loading the bases, but Basel escaped the jam by striking out Matt Lane looking.

Northeastern added an insurance run in the fourth off Harvard reliever Brian Dowling. Alex Gerety walked, stole second and third, and scored on an RBI single by Tyler Feinberg.

Following Basel, the Huskies’ relief corps was impeccable. Hauser pitched two hitless innings with two strikeouts. Andrew Wertz worked a scoreless eighth, and Matthew Sapienza closed out the ninth for Northeastern, which saw four pitchers combine to allow just five hits while striking out 11.

Harvard used seven pitchers in the game. After the shaky start, Brett Gable, Davis Kahn, Jack Smith and Luca Alagheband combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, striking out eight. The Crimson defense was undermined by two second-inning errors that contributed to the Huskies’ big inning.

With the win, Northeastern improved to 17-14 overall. Harvard fell to 5-17. The Huskies next face Merrimack in a weekend series beginning Friday, while Harvard travels to face Yale in a doubleheader on Saturday.

The victory followed the projection of Interstat’s game simulator and ELO system, which gave Northeastern a 78.80 percent probability to win.