Eagles surrender four runs in the ninth as five-run lead disappears
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Boston College baseball team saw a five-run lead disappear as it was walked off by Bethune-Cookman, 8-7, at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Saturday evening. The Eagles dropped to 3-2, while the Wildcats evened their record at 3-3.
Trailing 7-2 after the seventh, Bethune-Cookman got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth. The Wildcats then put three aboard to start the bottom of the ninth; all walks issued by senior RHP Thomas Lane (Georgetown, Mass.) BC went back to the bullpen and a walk issued by senior RHP Sean Hughes (Williamsburg, Va.) allowed a run to scores. Wildcat first baseman Danny Rodriguez then tied the game with a single to center. Second baseman Brandon Wilkes then won the game against redshirt-sophomore RHP Michael Marzonie (Greenwich, Conn.) with a walk-off double to center.
A four-run fourth inning gave BC its first lead and the Eagles never looked back. Freshman catcher Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.) singled out of the nine-hole and when the ball was misplayed in center freshman second baseman Cody Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) raced home from second. Junior center fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) followed with an RBI-single to center and junior shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.) capped the scoring with a two-run single.
Two innings later, Dempsey added to the BC lead with a two-run homer to left. Freshman right fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) walked to reach for the fourth time in the game and set up Dempsey’s two-out blast.
Lane (1-1) took the loss for BC; allowing three runs on three walks. Senior right-hander John Witkowski (Melrose, Mass.) matched his career-high in innings pitched and struck out a career-high seven as he allowed two runs, both in his final inning of work, on four hits. Freshman Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) went four innings in his first career start with two runs against him on five hits, one walk and three hit batsmen with two strikeouts.
Righty Tyler Krull (0-1) lasted four innings in the start for Bethune-Cookman. He surrendered five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. Right-hander Seth Lovell (1-0) got the win in five innings of relief He gave up just two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
DETAILS
Score: Bethune-Cookman 8, Boston College 7
Records: Bethune-Cookman (3-3), Boston College (3-2)
Location: Jackie Robinson Field (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Attendance: 305
BC HIGHLIGHTS
- In the second, freshman catcher Peter Burns provided two defensive outs from behind the plate as he nailed the lead runner at second on a sacrifice attempt and later nabbed a runner attempting to steal to finish the inning.
- Frelick doubled in the Eagles’ first run of the day in the third; his second double of the season.
- Bethune-Cookman responded to Boston College’s four-run fourth with a single run with the bases loaded, but the threat was stymied by an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
- Dempsey homered with two away in the sixth, marking the second day in a row an Eagle hit his first career home run after Jack Cunningham did so in Friday night’s game.
- Witkowski struck out the side in the seventh.
GAME NOTES
- Alu collected his third multi-hit game of the season and 29th of his career.
- Frelick picked up his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
- Dempsey’s home run was the first of his career.
- Dempsey matched his career-high in RBI with four, having previously done so vs. Bryant (3/3/18).
- Dempsey was the first Eagle with four RBI in a game since he drove in four against Maine (5/15/18).
- Witkowski set a career-high in strikeouts with seven, having previously struck out five vs. UMass (4/10/18).
- Witkowski matched his career-high in innings pitched with four; also achieving that feat vs. UMass last season.
- The Eagles trail the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman, 4-5.
- BC lost on a walk-off for the first time since at Notre Dame (4/27/18).
UP NEXT
The series finale is scheduled for noon on Sunday. The pitching match-up has yet to be announced.
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