BC BASEBALL: BC Takes One From Miami 9-2

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BC BASEBALL’s Martellini Smashes Homer as Eagles Take Game Three vs. Miami

Rapp throws seven strong in Sunday start

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery| Postgame Interviews (VIDEO)

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 9, Miami 2
Records: Miami (22-22, 12-11 ACC) at Boston College (17-24, 7-17 ACC)
Location: Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Series: UM wins the series, 2-1

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Sophomore Gian Martellini drove in four runs on the day on a home run, sacrifice fly and base hit. He extended his career-long hit streak to eight games and has at least one knock in 33 of the 40 games played this season. It was the fifth long ball of the season and the catcher also threw out a runner trying to take second.

Junior RHP Brian Rapp allowed just four hits and two runs over a seven-inning start. He walked three and struck out two.

Freshman Jacob Yish tallied a hit and an RBI in the victory. He has at least one hit in 11 of the 17 games played this season.

Sophomore Jake Alu was 1-for-4 in the series finale. He has hit in nine of the last 11 games and has reached base safely in all 11 of those games.

Seniors Michael Strem and Johnny Adams were 1-for-3 on the day. Strem drove in one, scored and walked twice. He has reached base safely 275 times in his career, which is tied for 10^th in BC record books. Adams scored twice and doubled.

Junior Jake Palomaki also drove in two runs. He was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, a walk – the 104^th of his career – and a sacrifice bunt.

Sophomore right-hand reliever John Witkowski threw two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit, one walk and two batters, while striking out three.

KEY PLAYS

Martellini’s first-inning home run gave the Eagles a three-run lead, which they did not relinquish.

The Canes made it a 4-2 game in the sixth, but BC scored three in the seventh and two in the eighth to put it out of reach.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Martellini gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead blasting a home run over the left-field fence with two on and one out. Both runners had reached on walks.

The Canes got one back in the fourth as Michael Burns doubled for the first UM hit of the game. A chopper moved him to third and Hunter Tackett plated him with a grounder to short. Rapp got a fly ball to end the inning.

BC got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Martellini drew a lead-off walk and with one down, Alu singled up the middle to put runners on the corners. Yish plated Martellini with a base hit to left.

Miami cut the lead to two in the sixth. With two down, Rapp hit Tackett and Carl Chester followed with a double to the corner in right. Junior Donovan Casey gunned down Chester at third trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning.

BC added to its lead in the seventh, scoring three. Adams led off with a double down the left-field line and freshman Brian Dempsey moved him to third with a chopper to short. Palomaki drove him in with a base hit to right. Casey followed with a single up the middle and the two Eagles executed a double steal to put runners on second and third. A walk loaded the bases and Martellini hit a sac fly to center to plate Palomaki. Junior Mitch Bigras singled to center to score Casey to give the Eagles a 7-2 lead.

The Eagles made it a 9-2 game in the eighth. With one out, Adams was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Dempsey got him to third on a grounder to short, which Randy Batista overthrew to first, allowing runners on the corners. Palomaki laid a bunt down the first-base line and Adams beat the throw to the plate to score on the safety squeeze. A fielder’s choice loaded the bases and Strem hit a single to center to plate Dempsey.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Martellini’s eight-game hit streak ties a season long for the Eagles.

Casey’s outfield assist in the sixth is his sixth of the season, which is tied for third in the nation. Strem also has logged six on the year and the Eagles’ 12 are third overall.

The Eagles did not record an error for the 18^th time this season and seventh time in the last eight games.

Eight of the nine BC starters recorded a hit in the contest with six different players logging RBIs. Palomaki and Martellini drove in six of the Eagles’ nine runs.

The Eagles are 8-22 in the all-time series against the Hurricanes and 4-8 in the last four meetings, including 3-6 in conference matchups.

UP NEXT
The Eagles return to action on Tuesday, May 2 with a 5 p.m. game at UMass Lowell.