BC BASEBALL Can’t Overcome No. 12 Clemson

Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Interview (VIDEO)

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Boston College baseball couldn’t hold onto an early lead and fell, 8-3, to No. 12 Clemson to wrap up the series at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in South Carolina. The Eagles (9-16, 4-8 ACC) could not muster a win against the Tigers (22-6, 8-4 ACC) in the three-game series.

Sophomore Dante Baldelli led the way for the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Classmate Brian Dempsey logged the other RBI while junior Jake Alu scored two of BC’s three runs.

The Eagles return to action on Tuesday, April 3 with the first round of the Baseball Beanpot at Harvard. The game is slate for 3 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 12 Clemson 8, Boston College 3
Records: Boston College (9-16, 4-8 ACC) at Clemson (22-6, 8-4 ACC)
Series: Clemson wins the series, 3-0
Location: Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Gian Martellini threw out his 11^th base runner attempting to steal, which leads the ACC. He went 1-for-3 with a walk on the day and tallied four hits in the series to lead the Eagles with a .400 against the Tigers. He has reached base safely in the last 13 games.
• Sophomore Dante Baldelli led the way with a 2-for-4 day. He tallied one of the Eagles’ two RBIs in the game.
• Sophomore Brian Dempsey logged an RBI single in the second and was hit by a pitch. He has at least one hit in 18 of the Eagles’ 25 games this season and in 32 of the last 45 games played, dating back to last year. He has reached base safely in the 23 of the 25 games this season.
• Senior Jake Palomaki drew the 132^nd walk of his career, now reaching safely in 23 of BC’s 25 games as well this season. He has reached base safely in 332 times in his career, fourth in BC record books.
• Junior Jake Alu scored two of the Eagles’ three runs and doubled for the second consecutive games.

KEY PLAYS

• The Eagles had a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, but Clemson tied the game on a walk, double and BC error. Seth Beer put the Tigers ahead with a solo home run on the next at bat.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the first. Logan Davidson started the game with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. Beer plated him with a sac fly to right. Back-to-back doubles scored the second run of the inning. Senior right-handed starter Brian Rapp loaded the bases on a hit and two walks but got a grounder and strikeout to get out of the jam.
• The Eagles cut the lead the following inning. With two down, Alu doubled to the corner in left and on a single through the right side off the bat of Dempsey, he hustled around third to score.
• BC tied it in the third and took the lead in the fourth. Freshman Chris Galland reached on a two-out fielder’s choice in the third and scored from first on a single to right by Baldelli.
• In the fourth, Alu scored the go-ahead run on wild pitch. He and Dempsey reached on a walk and error and senior Anthony Maselli put them in scoring position on a sac bunt. With two down, new pitcher Mat Clark’s pitch went wide, allowing Alu to cross the plate.
• Clemson retook the lead in the fifth and chased Rapp from the game. Jordan Green started the inning with a walk and Davidson doubled down the first-base line. Green scored as redshirt junior right fielder Scott Braren misplayed the carom. With redshirt freshman LHP Joey Walsh on in relief, Davidson scored on a passed ball before Beer launched his third home run against the Eagles to take a 5-3 lead.
• Jordan Greene led off the seventh with a solo shot to left to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead.
• The Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the eight on two hit batters and a walk but RHP Ryley Gilliam got sophomore pinch hitter Jake Goodreau swinging to get Clemson out of the jam.
• With two down in the eighth and two on because of a single and walk, Jacob Teodosio doubled to left to give the Tigers an 8-3 lead.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Clemson improved to 31-8 in the all-time series and has won the last 10 straight meetings between the two teams. The Tigers have won 12 of the 13 series against the Eagles.
• The Tigers scored nine total runs in the first inning in the series.
• Walsh threw a career-high four innings of relief and tied his career high with five strikeouts.
• The Beer home run in the fifth was the first allowed by Walsh in his BC career. He threw 17 innings before giving up the long ball in his first year of pitching.

NEXT UP
The Eagles travel the short distance to Harvard on Tuesday, April 3 for the first round of the Beanpot. The game is slated for 3 p.m.