Metzdorf Throws Gem as Eagles Even Series at ND

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Boston College baseball team evened the series with a 6-0 shutout victory over Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon at Frank Eck Stadium. Junior left-hander Dan Metzdorf earned his first win, allowing just two hits over eight shutout innings for the Eagles (15-27, 6-17 ACC).

Metzdorf struck out three, walked two and threw 25 of 26 first-pitch strikes to pace BC as the Fighting Irish (19-24, 10-14 ACC) put on just four base runners against the southpaw. Classmate Thomas Lane finished the game allowing just a hit batter in the ninth.

Freshman Chris Galland led the Eagles with two hits and an RBI. He also stole his ACC-leading 27^th base of the season, which is tied for the top spot in BC record books. Sophomore Brian Dempsey and junior Jake Alu recorded the other RBIs for BC in the contest.

The Irish and Eagles will play the rubber match on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 6, Notre Dame 0
Records: Boston College (15-27, 6-17 ACC) at Notre Dame (19-24, 10-14 ACC)
Location: Jake Kline Field at Frank Eck Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
Series: The series is tied, 1-1.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Dan Metzdorf tied a career high with eight innings pitched in his shutout start, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out three. He collected his first win of the season, retiring the first seven batters he faced and 17 of 18 through the seven innings. He did not allow a walk until the seventh and threw 24 straight first-pitch strikes and 25 of 26 to batters on the day.
• Freshman Chris Galland was the only player in the game to have a multiple-hit day, tallying two hits. He also drove in a run and stole his ACC-leading 27^th base of the season, tying for the single-season school record. He has reached base in 17 straight games, the longest current streak for any Eagle.
• With his 10th sacrifice hit of the season, sophomore Brian Dempsey tied for 10th on BC’s single-season record list and with 17 in his career, he is tied for 10th on the career list. He also logged a hit and an RBI and has reached base in 37 of the Eagles’ 42 games this season.
• Senior Jake Palomaki recorded a base hit and a walk. He has reached base in 38 of the Eagles’ 42 games this season, including the last eight, and has a hit in 29 of contests.
• Sophomore Joe Suozzi was hit twice and scored. He has reached base safely in the last seven games.
• Senior Anthony Maselli was the only player to log an extra-base hit, doubling in the sixth. He scored and stole a base as well.

KEY PLAYS

• The Eagles plated a run in the second to take an early lead and did not look back, scoring five more off lefty reliever Cameron Brown in the victory.
• Metzdorf not only held Notre Dame scoreless, he held the Irish off the base path, allowing just four base runners all day and only one through the first six innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles scored one in the second without a hit. Maselli led off with a walk and Suozzi was hit by a pitch. Dempsey moved them over with a sacrifice bunt and junior Jake Alu plated Maselli with a sac fly to center.
• BC added a run with two down in the fifth and Brown on the mound. Sophomore Dante Baldelli singled and Palomaki drew a walk. Galland knocked one through the right side to drive in Baldelli.
• Maselli scored in the sixth to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. He doubled to left center with one out and Suozzi moved him to third on a groundout. Before the inning ended, Maselli crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
• BC added three runs on just one hit in the eighth. The Eagles loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Sophomore Jack Cunningham started the scoring by coming home on a passed ball.  With runners on second and third and RHP Anthony Holubecki on the hill, Dempsey knocked one to short and beat the throw to first to plate one. With Suozzi coming home, first baseman Daniel Jung’s throw to the plate was wide, allowing Dempsey to move to second and the run to count. Alu drew a walk to put two on but a fly ball to right got the Irish out of the inning.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Boston College improves to 14-29 in the all-time series collected the first road victory against the Irish since a 4-1, 11-inning win on April 11, 2014.
• The last two-hitter recorded by the BC pitching staff was on March 25, 2017, in a 1-0 loss to No. 6 Clemson. Metzdorf, junior John Witkowski, senior Carmen Giampetruzzi and 2017 20^th-round draft pick Donovan Casey combined in the two-hitter.
• The shutout victory was the third for the Eagles in 2018.
• The Eagles did not make an error in the field for the 20^th time this season. They have won 12 of those games.
• BC snapped a seven-game ACC losing streak with the victory. The last conference win was an 8-0 victory over Pitt on April 8. The last conference win on the road was an 11-3 win over No. 22 NC State on March 10.
• BC allowed just five Notre Dame base runners on the day.

NEXT UP
The Eagles and Irish will play the rubber match on Sunday, April 29 at 1:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.