Cunningham Drives in Four in BC’s First Win in Brighton

The Eagles (8-11, 3-4 ACC) earned just their second win of the year when outhit by an opponent. The Hokies (9-11, 3-4 ACC) recorded eight hits to BC’s four.

Junior RHP Jacob Stevens stuck out seven in a 6.1-inning start. The BC bullpen did not allow a run in the game and gave up just one hit as freshman LHP Will Hesslink, junior RHP Sean Hughes and junior RHP Thomas Lane kept the Hokies off the board. Hughes earned the win and Lane the save. Lane threw the final 1.1 innings, gave up just a walk and struck out one.

With inclement weather predicted for Sunday, BC and Tech altered the schedule and will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 7, Virginia Tech 4
Records: Virginia Tech (9-11, 3-4 ACC) at Boston College (8-11, 3-4 ACC)
Series: BC leads the series, 1-0
Location: Brighton Baseball Field in Brighton, Mass.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Jack Cunningham led the way at the plate with a 2-for-4 day and a career-high four RBIs. He plated the go-ahead run in the seventh, stole a base and scored in that inning. He has a hit in 15 of the Eagles’ 19 games this season.
• Junior RHP Jacob Stevens struck out seven over a 6.1-inning start. He walked just one, allowed seven hits and four runs in the no-decision.
• Senior Anthony Maselli logged his first hit of the season, which was the first hit of the game for the Eagles in the third. He went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.
• Senior Jake Palomaki was 1-for-2 with an RBI, run and walk. He stole his 50^th career base, which is second all-time at Boston College.
• Junior RHP Thomas Lane picked up his second save of the season, throwing the final 1.1 innings, walking just one and striking out one.
• Junior RHP Sean Hughes picked up the win, his first of the season and first since his freshman year. He allowed one hit and one walk and left two on in the seventh inning, coming in for Stevens.
• Junior catcher Gian Martellini caught his ACC-leading ninth baserunner stealing. It was the only stolen-base attempt for the Hokies in the game.

KEY PLAYS

• The Hokies took a 4-3 lead in the seventh, but the Eagle came up to score four in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Palomaki scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly and Cunningham drove in the game-winning run on a base hit.
• Hesslink and Lane combined to pitch two shutout innings to end the game and preserve the BC win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles got on the board in the third as Cunningham broke the scoreless tie. With two down, Maselli singled through the right side and Palomaki followed with an infield single to the left of the mound. Sophomore Dante Baldelli drew a walk to load the bases and Cunningham smoked the eighth pitch of his at-bat to right to clear the bases, giving BC a 3-0 lead.
• The Hokies tied the game by scoring a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth. In the fourth, Luke Horanski led off with a double to left and moved to third on a groundout. With two down, Sam Fragale laced a ball down the third-base line to score a run before Stevens ended the inning with his fifth K.
• In the fifth, Darion Jacoby led off with a double to right and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Jack Owens plated him with a grounder to short.
• In the sixth back-to-back, one-out singles put runners on the corners and Fragale laid down a bunt to bring in the tying run.
• VT took the lead on another safety squeeze in the seventh. Jacoby was hit by a pitch to start the inning and a sac bunt moved him to second. Hughes came into the game and allowed a single to put runners on the corners. Tom Stoffel laid a bunt down the first-base line to score the go-ahead run. With two on, Hughes got a fly ball to end the inning.
• The Eagles scored four off one hit in the seventh to take a 7-4 lead. BC loaded the bases on two walks and hit by pitch. Palomaki plated the tying run with a sac fly to center. With runners on first and second, Cunningham singled to center to bring in the eventual game-winner. Cunningham took off for second and pitcher Nic Enright tried to catching him stealing but second baseman Owens threw home to get a breaking Baldelli. The throw went wide, allowing an insurance run to score and Cunningham to go to third. Martellini walked and Cunningham scored on a passed ball to make it a 7-4 game.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• The Eagles snapped a three-game win streak in the series with the Hokies. They are 13-6 at home against Tech and 18=24 in the all-time series.
• The victory was the first at the newly constructed Brighton Baseball Field.
• It was just the second time the Eagles earned a win when outhit by an opponent.
• Baldelli’s career-long, six-game hit streak came to an end as he was 0-for-2 with two walks and two steals in the game.
• Sophomore Brian Dempsey has reached base safely in the 17 of the 18 games this year.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Hokies will play a doubleheader on Saturday. March 24 beginning at 11:30 a.m.