BC BASEBALL Surrenders Late Lead to Bryant

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CARY, N.C. – The Boston College baseball team surrendered two runs in the ninth inning to fall to Bryant, 9-8, on Saturday afternoon at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C. The Eagles (4-4) led by one after coming back from a three-run deficit earlier in the game, but allowed the Bulldogs (1-7) to pick up their first win of the 2018 season on a walk-off.

Sophomore Brian Dempsey led the team on a 3-for-4 day with a career-high four RBIs. He has a hit in seven of the Eagles’ eight games this season. Senior Jake Palomaki had two RBIs with two hits while Jack Cunningham scored a career-high three times on a 2-for-3 day.

With runners on first and third and no outs in the ninth, pinch hitter Gaby Cruz singled off junior RHP John Witkowski to tie the game. Senior LHP Carmen Giampetruzzi came in the game and got a strikeout, but Ryan Ward singled up the middle to score the winning run from second.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Bryant 9, Boston College 8
Records: Boston College (4-4) vs. Bryant (1-7)
All-Time Series: BC leads, 9-4
Location: USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Brian Dempsey led the team with a 3-for-4 day and a career-high four RBIs. He has tallied at least one hit in seven of the Eagles’ eight games this season and in 21 of the last 28 games, he has played in, dating back to last season. He has reached base safely in every game in 2018.
• Freshman Chris Galland was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. In his first three career starts, he is 7-for-11 with five RBIs, seven runs, and three stolen bases.
• Sophomore Jack Cunningham was 2-for-3 with a career-high three runs scored and two walks.
• Junior RHP Thomas Lane threw 2.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run. He walked one, struck out three and allowed one hit.

KEY PLAY

• The Eagles held a one-run lead in the ninth inning, but Bryant scored two to walk off with the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles got on the board in the second with two outs. Senior Mitch Bigras walked and Dempsey singled to put two on. Palomaki hit one through the hole on the right side to score Bigras and give BC a 1-0 lead.
• The Bulldogs scored two in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. James Ciliento drew a one-out walk, moved up on a wild pitch, tagged up on a fly ball and scored on a single up the middle by Shane Kelly. Dante Ricciardi hit one to left, which got lost in the sun, allowing Kelly, who had advanced on a wild pitch, to score.
• Bryant increased its lead with two runs in the third. With one down and a runner on first, Tyler Panno hit one to right center. Right fielder Cunningham bobbled the ball, allowing a run to score. Panno tried to come home on a ball in the dirt but junior catcher Gian Martellini flipped it to junior starter Dan Metzdorf for the second out. A hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases and Kelly singled up the middle to score another run. Lane came into the game and got a strikeout to end the inning.
• BC cut the lead to one in the fourth. With two on and two outs, Dempsey singled down the right-field line to clear the bases and make it 4-3.
• The Bulldogs added a run back in the bottom of the inning. Sam Owens led off with a single to right and moved around to third on two grounders. Mickey Gasper hit a sac fly to center to plate Owens.
• The Eagles took the lead in the sixth, scoring three. Dempsey singled with the bases loaded to bring in the first run of the inning. Palomaki followed with an infield hit to short to plate another run. Sophomore Dante Baldelli hit a sac fly to center for the third BC run.
• Bryant tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Owens walked, moved up on an error and to third on a sac bunt. With junior RHP Sean Hughes on the mound, Owens scored on a wild pitch. After a walk, Hughes got a 463 double play to end the inning.
• The Eagles retook the lead in the seventh. Martellini led off with a double as the ball got lost in the sun and the centerfielder could not a play. Cunningham singled to put runners on the corners and Galland hit up back up the middle to take a 7-6 lead. Dempsey hit a fly ball to right, allowing Cunningham to tag up and give BC a two-run cushion.
• Bryant made it a one-run game in the bottom of the inning. A single, walk and wild pitch put runners on second and third and a grounder to short scored a run.
• In the ninth with Witkowski on the mound, Chris Wright started the inning with a single up the middle. He advanced to second on an error on a throw down to first. A single through the left side put runners on the corners and Cruz hit one through the left side to tie the game. Senior Giampetruzzi came in and got a bunt foul third strike for the first out, but gave up a base hit to Ward to score the winning run from second.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Bryant has won the last two meetings between the two teams. The Eagles still lead the all-time series, 9-4.
• The Eagles went five straight games without an error before recording in the contest. It was the most they’ve recorded this season.

UP NEXT
The Eagles finish their time in Cary with an 11:30 a.m. meeting with Army on Sunday. The Eagles will face former associate head coach Jim Forster (2015-16) and volunteer assistant coach John Murphy (2016-17), who now lead the Black Knights and is the assistant, respectively.