Weekly Recap: Boston College Baseball

BC picked up a pair of 2-1 victories at Rhode Island and against Harvard to start off the week.

Joe Mancini got the start on Tuesday in Rhode Island, and pitched seven innings of one run ball, allowing only three hits and striking out four. URI took a 1-0 lead into the 7th, but BC freshman Lucas Stalman levelled the score, driving in Chris Galland with a double.

Jake Alu continued his tremendous senior year, knocking in the game winning run with an RBI double in the 9th. As of 5/1, Alu was batting a cool .354 on the season.

Matt Gill pitched a scoreless 9th to earn his third save of the year.

The Eagles got another strong pitching performance in Wednesday’s game against Harvard. John Walsh allowed only one run on one hit through the opening five innings. The bullpen was no kinder to the Crimson bats, as Sean Hughes, John Witkowski, Emmet Sheehan, and Matt Gill combined to allow zero runs and one hit over the final four frames.

The BC offense had only three hits of their own, but they made the most of eight walks and a Harvard error. Chris Galland knotted the score in the 4th with a sacrifice fly, and Jake Cunningham scored the winning run on an error in the 8th.

The Eagles then travelled to Blacksburg for a key conference series at Virginia Tech. They won their third consecutive 2-1 game on Saturday, led by an excellent outing from Dan Metzdorf. Metzdorf pitched 7.2 shutout innings, allowing eight hits, three walks, and striking out eight to improve his record to 6-2.

Cody Morissette singled home Jake Alu in the 3rd, and BC added a second run in the 6th when Jack Cunningham grounded into a double play with the bases loaded. Matt Gill came on for the save in the 9th, and despite allowing a run on three hits and a walk, he was able to escape with his fifth save of the season.

The Hokies roughed up BC started Mason Pelio in game two to the tune of eight runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings. Trailing 8-1, the Eagles offense mounted a charge in the 6th, scoring seven runs on five hits to tie the game. Jake Suozzi picked up a rare two RBI fielder’s choice, Alu singled home two, and Morissette capped off the inning with an RBI single. Morissette finished the game three for five, and DH Gian Martellini went four for five.

Virginia Tech answered BC’s big inning, promptly scoring two runs in the 6th, and five more in the 7th on their way to a series tying 15-8 win.

The Eagles earned the series win in Monday’s finale. Joe Suozzi got things started in the 2nd with an RBI single. Cody Morissette drove in Alu in the 3rd with a double, and Suozzi struck again in the 4th with solo home run to stake BC to a 3-0 lead. Suozzi finished the day three for four with two RBIs and two runs scored.

After VT pushed across a run in the 5th, BC answered with two in the 6th. Suozzi and Galland started the inning with consecutive hits, and both would score on an error off the bat of Alu.

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the 9th, the Hokies threatened with runners on first and second and one out. BC called upon senior reliever John Witkowski, who promptly induced a fielder’s choice and strikeout to shut the door and earn his third save of the season.

The win improved BC’s record to 26-25 overall, and 10-17 in conference. With only three ACC games remaining, the Eagles took a big step closer to locking up an appearance in the conference tournament.

Up next: BC hosts Maine Tuesday evening, the 14th, before wrapping up the regular season with a home series against Notre Dame, beginning on Thursday.