BC Baseball: Eagles Fall to No. 6 Clemson 8-2

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BC BASEBALL Pitching Staff Strikes Out 12, but Eagles Fall to No. 6 Clemson in Series Opener

Casey drives in both BC runs

Box Score (PDF)

GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 6 Clemson 8, Boston College 2
Records: Clemson (18-4, 6-1 ACC) at Boston College (7-12, 1-6 ACC)
Location: Bill Beck Field in Kingston, R.I.
Series: Clemson leads the series, 1-0

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Sophomore LHP Zach Stromberg threw three innings of relief, striking out a career-high four. He allowed three hits, one run and two walks.

Junior Donovan Casey and senior Michael Strem led the way for the Eagles at the plate, turning in 2-for-4 days. Casey drove in both BC runs, legging out infield hits while Strem recorded the Eagles’ first triple of the season.

Junior Mitch Bigras singled in the seventh to extend his on-base streak to 11 games, the longest current streak on the team.

Sophomore Gian Martellini extended his hit streak to five games – tying a career long – and has reached base in the last eight games.

The BC pitching staff tallied 12 strikeouts on the day, tying a season high set opening day at Bethune-Cookman.

KEY PLAYS

The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, scoring five runs off sophomore RHP Jacob Stevens in the first two innings.

CU starter LHP Charlie Barnes allowed just one run over six and RHP Patrick Andrews picked up the save, throwing the final three innings and allowing just one more BC run. The two combined to strike out 16 BC batters – a season high – and walk just one Eagle.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Clemson scored three runs in its first at bat. Chase Pinder started things off with a base hit to left and scored on Seth Beer’s double to left with the Eagles in the shift. Chris Williams plated Beer with a ground-rule double over the center-field wall to make it a 2-0 game before Stevens recorded his second strikeout. A walk put two on and Jordan Greene knocked one through the right side to score the third run of the inning. Stevens got a fly to center to end the inning.

The Tigers added two more in the second as Stevens walked the bases loaded and with one down, Williams hit a high chopper to second. The Eagles could not complete the double play, allowing a run in. Andrew Cox singled to center to plate another before Stevens ended the inning with a strikeout looking.

Clemson added a run in the sixth off Stromberg. With one down, the Tigers tallied back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Greene chopped one to short to plate the runner from third.

The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the inning. With one down, senior Johnny Adams and Strem notched back-to-back base hits to put runners on the corners. Casey chopped one to third to score Adams and got down the line to keep the inning alive, beating the throw to first on the double-play attempt. A strikeout ended the BC scoring chance.

The Tigers took an 8-1 lead in the seventh with freshman RHP Jack Cunningham on the hill. They loaded the bases on an error, intentional walk to Beer and a base on balls. Cox singled to right to plate a run before sophomore RHP Jack Nelson came in to pitch. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Reed Rohlman before a strikeout looking got the Eagles out of the inning.

The Eagles added their second run of the game with two outs in the eighth. Strem tripled to right center and Casey brought him in with an infield chopper to second. Martellini kept it going with a base hit on a fast liner off the glove of the leaping second baseman, but a chopper to first ended the BC half of the inning.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Clemson has won the last five straight meetings between the two schools and improves to 26-8 in the all-time series.

The Tigers’ 13 hits were the most allowed by BC this season and the 10 walks were the second most after issuing 11 to Florida State on March 11.

Stevens’ five walks tied a career high and the three-inning outing tied the shortest of his career.

Casey notched his second outfield assist of the season. The Eagles have eight on the year.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Tigers return to Bill Beck Field for Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest.