Xavier 9, Boston College 4: Eagles Close Out .500 Weekend With Loss

Boston College pitching gave up a five-run sixth inning and a four-run eighth as the Xavier Musketeers picked up a 9-4 victory from Harley Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Sunday afternoon. The loss ends the weekend for BC at a 2-2 record after they picked up a doubleheader victory on Saturday.

The Eagles opened up a 4-0 lead early on the game by scoring all of their runs in the second inning. With one out, Michael Strem singled to right, and BC earned runners on first and second when the following batter, Logan Hoggarth, walked. Johnny Adams pushed Strem across with a single to right, with Hoggarth heading to third when Brian Bruening bobbled the ball in right. Adams stole second, and both runners plated when Nick Sciortino singled up the middle. He would score from second after Gabriel Hernandez singled him home.

That lead held up into the sixth against BC starter Nick Poore, but the Musketeer bats woke up in a big way. With one out, Xavier loaded the bases when David Morton and Shelby Chidemo singled and catcher Daniel Rizzie drew a walk.

Mike Gambino went to his bullpen for Brian Rapp, but the freshman, who pitched in the season debut against Wofford, walked designated hitter Derek Hasenbeck, scoring Morton and cutting the BC lead to 4-1. The Musketeers tied the game one batter later when cleanup hitter Patrick Jones tripled to left. Shortstop Andre Jernigan singled Jones home to give Xavier a 5-4 lead, sending Rapp to the showers. Tyler Hinchcliffe got out of the inning, but the damage had been done. Three of the runs were charged to Poore with two to Rapp, who didn't record an out.

Hinchcliffe pitched his way through the seventh, allowing three hits in the second but stranding two runners on the bump. Bringing in Eric Stone to start the frame, the Eagles immediately ran into trouble when Hasenbeck doubled to left center. Will Larue was brought in as a pinch runner, and he scored two batters later when Jernigan singled to left. Buruening contributed an RBI sacrifice fly to center to score a second run, and Jernigan scored the third run when Morton reached via an error. Chidemo then plated Joe Forney for a fourth run.

BC went down in order in the eighth and ninth to end the game.

Nick Poore finished 5.1 innings plus, surrendering the three runs on three hits. He pitched well through his first few innings, and his control was on point, walking only one while striking out five. Hinchcliffe finished with 1.2 innings of shutout baseball to buoy the BC defense after the five-run inning, scattering three hits. But Rapp and Stone struggled, with the freshman (0-1) absorbing the loss on the hook for two runs via two hits and not recording an out. Stone got through 1.1 innings, but while only two runs were earned, he allowed four on four hits. Carmen Giampetruzzi made his collegiate debut by throwing the final 0.2, striking out both batters he faced.

Adam Hall started for the Musketeers and lasted only three innings, giving up four runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk. Sean Campbell pitched the fourth, and Greg Jacknewitz (1-0) closed out the Eagles by throwing the final five innings for the victory. Jacknewitzh allowed just two hits the rest of the way—one in the sixth and one in the seventh—while walking one and striking out two. He faced just two over the minimum possible.

Now at 2-2 after the weekend, the Eagles will begin the quick turnaround to prepare for a monster three-game series on ESPN3/SEC Network against the #4-ranked LSU Tigers. Friday's game will be under the lights in Baton Rouge at 8 PM, with Saturday at 4 PM and Sunday's getaway day game at 2 PM.