BC Baseball: Third-Inning Rally Propels Eagles to Victory

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BC BASEBALL: Third-Inning Rally Propels Eagles to Victory
Martellini records career-high four RBIs while Gill settles in the mound

BOX SCORE

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 10, Villanova 3
Records: Boston College (2-3) vs. Villanova (0-5)
Location: L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Okla.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Sophomore Gian Martellini tallied a career-high four RBIs, going for 3-for-4 with a run, walk and his third double of the season.

Junior Mitch Bigras hit the Eagles’ first home run of the season to lead off the third. He is 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs in the Eagles’ two games of the 19 Ways Invitational.

Junior Jake Palomaki was 2-for-5 with two runs, an RBI and a double. He drew a walk for the 95^th of his career, which is sixth in BC record books. He has reached base in the last seven games, dating back to last season.

Freshman right-hander Matt Gill made his first career start, throwing seven innings. He allowed three runs in the first inning on five hits, but settled in to pitch six scoreless, allowing just one more hit in the game. He struck out a career-high three and walked two.

Junior LHP Carmen Giampetruzzi and sophomore RHP Jake Alu combined to throw a scoreless and hitless eighth and ninth, allowing one walk and striking out three.

KEY PLAYS

Gill allowed three runs in the first on five hits to give the Wildcats an early lead, but the Eagles answered with a four-run fourth, led by Bigras’s home run and Martellini’s three-run double.

BC did not look back, scoring six more in the game.

Gill settled in and allowed just one more hit in the second as he, Giampetruzzi and Alu combined to throw eight scoreless.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs on five hits in the first. They started off with three straight singles to make it 1-0. Gill caught a popped up bunt for the first out but surrendered an RBI double and RBI single to make it 3-0 before forcing a 643 double play to get out of the inning.

It didn’t take long for the Eagles to take go ahead. They scored four in the top of the third and chased starter Ryan Doty from the game. Bigras led off the inning with a solo shot over the wall in right field. With one down, Palomaki doubled to left center and senior Michael Strem followed with a base hit to left and stole second to put two in scoring position. Junior Scott Braren drew a two-out walk to load the bases and Martellini cleared them with a double down the left-field line to put the Eagles on top. Villanova went to the pen for RHP Ryan Pfutzenreuter and after freshman Brian Desmpsey tallied an infield single, he was picked off first to end the inning.

The Eagles added two more in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead. Martellini led off with a base hit and Dempsey followed with blooper to right to put runners on the corners. New pitcher LHP Mike Sgaramella gave up an infield single to senior Johnny Adams before getting two outs. Palomaki laced one through the left side to score Dempsey but over slid the second-base bag to end the inning.

Martellini recorded his fourth RBI in the seventh to make it a four-run game. With one down, junior Donovan Caseysingled up the middle and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Braren drew a walk and Casey advanced to third on a wild pitch. Martellini drove Casey in with a base hit to left.

BC added three more in the eighth to make it 10-3. Bigras and Palomaki drew walks and Strem hit one up the middle to drive in Bigras. He moved to second on the throw and Casey plated both runners with a double down the left-field line.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

The Eagles’ 10 runs and 16 hits were the most of the young season. The runs were the highest total since an 11-9, eight-inning win at Harvard on April 12, 2016 and the most hits since recording 15 in the 9-8, 10-inning victory over Wake Forest on May 7, 2016.

BC improved to 28-22 in the all-time series against Villanova. The Eagles have won the last 11 meetings.

Alu made his first career appearance on the mound, throwing a 123 ninth with two strikeouts. Twelve of his 13 pitches were strikes.

Senior Chris Balogh recorded his first hit of 2017 with a pinch-hit single in the ninth.

Villanova used seven pitchers in the loss.

UP NEXT
The Eagles end their time in Norman with a 1 p.m. ET game against host Oklahoma on Sunday, Feb. 26. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox College Sports Atlantic.