BC BASEBALL: Eagles Fall to Louisville

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team dropped a 6-1 series opener to Louisville on Friday night at Harrington Athletics Village. The Eagles (15-29, 6-19 ACC) made a season-high five errors in the loss to the Cardinals (31-14, 11-11 ACC).

Sophomore Jack Cunningham recorded one of the Eagles’ three hits and drove in the only BC run. Classmates Brian Dempsey and Dante Baldelli tallied the only other hits against UL starter Adam Wolf.

Freshman Chris Galland drew a walk and was hit by a pitch to extend his on-base streak to 19 games, the longest of the season for any BC player.

The Eagles return to the diamond on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest against the Cardinals in the Sixth Annual Military Appreciation Game in which current and former U.S. servicemen and women will be honored.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Louisville 6, Boston College 1
Records: Louisville (31-14, 11-11 ACC) at Boston College (15-29, 6-19 ACC)
Location: Harrington Athletics Village in Brighton, Mass.
Series: UL leads the series, 1-0

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Jack Cunningham drove in the Eagles’ only run on the day and logged one of three hits. He also recorded an unassisted double play at first base in the fourth.
• Freshman Chris Galland was hit by a pitch and drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 19 games, the longest of the season for BC.
• Sophomore Brian Dempsey logged BC’s first hit of the game in the third. He has reached base in 39 of the Eagles’ 44 games this season.
• Senior Jake Palomaki drew a walk in the eighth. He has reached base in 40 of the Eagles’ 44 games this season, including the last 10.
• Sophomore Dante Baldelli recorded the only other BC hit and scored the lone run.
• Junior RHP John Witkowski struck out four over a 3.2-inning relief appearance. He allowed four hits, two runs – one earned – and did not walk a batter.

KEY PLAYS

• Leading 1-0 in the fifth, the Cardinals scored three and chased junior starter Jacob Stevens from the game to take a 4-0 lead.
• It would be all they would need as LHP Adam Wolf allowed just one run over eight innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Josh Stowers put the Cardinals on the board with a lead-off solo shot in the second.
• Louisville added three in the fifth and chased Stevens from the game. With runners on first and second and one out, Devin Mann singled through the left side to plate one. Logan Wyatt followed with a double to right center to make it a 4-0 game. Witkowski came into the game and got a strikeout looking and a chopper to third to end the inning.
• With one on in the eighth, Drew Campbell launched one over the right-field fence to give the Cardinals a 6-0 lead.
• BC got on the board in the eighth as Baldelli led off with a single to center and Palomaki followed with a walk. Cunningham drove in Baldelli with a base hit to center.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• Louisville now leads the all-time series, 8-2 and improves to 2-2 on the Eagles’ home turf.
• Stevens went 4.1 innings in his start to move into ninth place in BC record books with 221.0 career innings pitched.
• The Eagles recorded a season-high five errors in the game. They are 1-14 when committing two or more errors.

EXTRAS

• Before the start of the game, head coach Mike Gambino presented former BC baseball coach Richard “Moe” Maloney (1989-99) with a framed jersey. Maloney was awarded the Eddie Pellagrini Award at the 2018 Baseball Night in Boston in January, which is given to someone who gives back to the BC baseball program.
• The Eagles honored first responders and the Boston College Police Department as part of the annual First Responders Game. Officer Michael Wheeler and Boston College EMT Alex Statekvich threw out ceremonial first pitches.

NEXT UP
The Eagles and Cardinals return on Saturday for a 4 p.m. tilt. BC will honor service men and women in the Sixth Annual Military Appreciation Game. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.