Beanpot: Extra-Inning Loss Surrenders 2018 Title

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team lost in 11 innings to Harvard, 7-4, on Wednesday evening in the first round of the Baseball Beanpot Tournament. The Eagles (9-17) have held the Beanpot for the last three years, but the extra-innings loss to the Crimson (10-13) surrenders the title for 2018.

Redshirt junior Scott Braren led the way for the Eagles with two RBIs, including plating the tying run twice. Sophomore Jake Goodreau made his first career start at catcher, doubled and recorded his first career RBI. Freshman Chris Galland, batting in the lead-off spot for the first time, stole two bases to be a perfect 16-for-16 on the year and lead the ACC.

The BC pitching staff allowed 16 hits in the game, 15 of which were singles. The only extra-base hit was the 11th-inning home run.

The Eagles will play UMass in the Beanpot consolation game on Tuesday, April 10. Northeastern and Harvard will battle for the championship in the second game of the day.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Harvard 7, Boston College 4 (11 innings)
Records: Harvard (10-13) at Boston College (9-17)
Location:  Brighton Baseball Field in Brighton, Mass.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore right-hander Matt Gill allowed three runs in the first before settling in and holding the Crimson scoreless for the next five. He allowed eight hits and three runs, walked just one and tied a career-high with three strikeouts in his six-inning start.
• Redshirt junior Scott Braren tallied two game-tying RBIs for the Eagles. He was 1-for-4 with an outfield assist.
• Sophomore Jake Goodreau made his first career start behind the plate. He doubled, drew two walks and tallied his first career RBI.
• Sophomore Brian Dempsey had one hit in the game. He has at least one hit in 19 of the Eagles’ 26 games this season and in 33 of the last 46 games played, dating back to last year. He has reached base safely in the 24 of the 26 games this season.
• Freshman Chris Galland led off for the first time. He had one hit, one run, one walk and he stole two bases to be a perfect 16-for-16 on the base path, leading the ACC.
• Senior Jake Palomaki drew three walks in a 1-for-3 day. He scored a run and stole a base. His 135 career walks are first in BC record books, his 52 career stolen bases are second, his 133 career runs are tied for seventh all-time and he has reached base safely in 336 games, good for third.

KEY PLAYS

• With two on in the 11^th inning, Patrick Robinson hit a home run over the left-field wall to give the Crimson a three-run lead.
• RHP Grant Stone allowed just a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning to preserve the Harvard win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Crimson scored three in the first off Gill to take an early lead. With runners on the corners after back-to-back singles, the first run came in on a wild pitch. After Gill got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, he gave up three more hits in a row to bring in two more Harvard runs. The righty picked off the runner at second for the second out and forced a grounder to short to end the inning.
• The Eagles got on the board in the sixth off reliever RHP Kevin Stone. They loaded the bases on two walks and a single and Goodreau drew a walk with one down to bring in the first BC run of the game. After a strikeout looking, Harvard went to the pen for LHP John MacLean. He got the Crimson out of the jam with a strikeout.
• BC tied the game in the seventh. Galland led off with a single and stole second. Palomaki drew a one-out walk and both runners moved into scoring position on a successful double steal. RHP Jack Mahala came in to face sophomore Dante Baldelli, who grounded one to short, allowing Galland to cross the plate. Baldelli landed on first after a bad throw from Buddy Mrowka. With Palomaki on third, Braren grounded out to first to bring in Palomaki and tie the game.
• The Crimson regained the lead the following inning with junior LHP Zach Stromberg on the mound. A lead-off single, sac bunt and hit back at the mound put runners on the corners. Redshirt freshman LHP Joey Walsh came into the game and pinch hitter Matt Rothenberg singled to right to bring in the go-ahead run. Braren hit Palomaki with the throw and he fired to third to get the runner trying to advance. Walsh ended the inning with a grounder.
• BC forced extras with a run in the ninth off RHP Kieran Shaw. Dempsey started the inning with a single to right and moved to third on a one-out hit by Baldelli. Braren plated the tying run with a sac fly to center. Shaw got a fly ball to center to send the game to extras.
• Harvard took the lead in the 11^th with junior RHP Thomas Lane on the mound. After he started the inning with a strikeout looking, Lane put two on with a hit by pitch and a walk. Robinson hit a home run over the left-field wall to give the Crimson a 7-4 lead.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• For the 11^th time this season, the Eagles did not commit an error.
• The Eagles drew a season-high 10 walks in the game.
• BC has played in three extra-inning games in 2018 and has not earned a victory. The longest was an 18-inning contest to Northeastern on March 20.
• The BC pitching staff allowed 16 hits in the game, 15 of which were singles. The only extra-base hit was the 11^th-inning home run.

BEANPOT NOTES

• The Eagles are now 37-17-1 all-time in the Baseball Beanpot, which began in 1990.
• BC leads all four teams with 12 titles and won the last three in a row.
• BC is now 14-5-1 against Harvard in the Beanpot and 44-34 in the all-time series. BC had won the last four meetings, including last year’s Beanpot Championship at Fenway Park in a rain-shortened, five-inning, 3-2 contest.

NEXT UP
The Eagles host Pittsburgh in a three-game ACC series beginning on Friday, April 6 at 4 p.m.