Boston College 4, Holy Cross 2: Casey At The Bat Paces Birds Past 'Saders

Freshman Donovan Casey went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, and a series of pitchers combined for a four-hit performance as the Boston College Eagles defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders, 4-2, on Wednesday afternoon in Northborough, MA.

The game was played at the New England Baseball Complex after being postponed from last week due to unplayable fields.

Eric Stone (1-0) threw three innings in the start to pick up the win for the Eagles, and five relief pitchers each threw an inning to shut down the Crusaders. Jesse Adams, Brian Rapp, Nick Poore, and Kyle Dunster all threw no-hit innings, while John Nicklas threw 1.1 innings of one-hit ball to pick up his second save.

BC scored one run in the second when Casey led off the inning with a single. He scored from first when Nick Scortino doubled off the wall in right center. In the third, Chris Shaw hit a two-RBI double to right center to score both Jake Palomaki and Michael Strem to put BC up 3-0, and Casey singled him home with a base hit up the middle.

Stone pitched 2.1 innings of no-hit ball to open up the Holy Cross offensive game, surrendering a one-out to Nick Lovullo in the first for his only base runner. With one out in the third, Holy Cross recorded their first hit, a single by Bobby Indeglia. But Josh Hassell promptly grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

BC retired five in a row at one point, allowing only one runner (in the fifth) before the eighth inning. Carmen Giampetruzzi started the eighth inning, recording the first two outs before walking Alex Voitik. Indeglia then doubled him home from first with a drive to center field, scoring one batter later when Hassell singled to left center, chasing Giampetruzzi from the game.

John Nicklas came in the game to promptly allow a single to left, advancing the runners up a base with a wild pitch. With runners on second and third, though, he induced a grounder to end the inning.

Nicklas went 1-2-3 in the 9th to end the game. He has now recorded nine strikeouts in his last 11 innings (across seven appearances), walking four and allowing just six hits. He has not allowed a run since his first appearance of the season and is now poised to make the closer's role his own. Casey led all hitters with a 3-for-4 day, but Shaw recorded two RBI. He now has seven RBI in his last three games and has nine multiple-RBI games this season.

With the win, the Eagles improved to 8-13 on the season. Although they remain 1-7 in conference play, they now head to Delaware for a weekend set with the Duke Blue Devils. Holy Cross fell to 5-14 on the season; they head to Lafayette for a four-game series (played as two doubleheaders) this weekend.