Boston College Splits Friday Twinbill at EKU

Eagles respond with 6-4 win in game two

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Boston College baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader with a 4-0 loss to Evansville and a 6-4 win over host Eastern Kentucky at Earle Combs Stadium on Friday. The Eagles moved to 5-3 on the season.

After being shutout for the first time this season, BC got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the top of the second against the Colonels (6-4). Sophomore left fielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.) singled and stole second before being driven in on a triple by freshman right fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.), who scored on a RBI-groundout hit into by junior shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.).

In a 3-1 game, EKU rallied for two runs against BC junior right-handed starter Matt Gill (Simsbury, Conn.) to tie the game. The Eagles answered in the bottom half; going back in front on a three-run home run down the right field line by senior third baseman Jake Alu (Hamilton, N.J.).

Gill (2-0) returned to start the bottom of the sixth and left with two runners in scoring position and one down. Senior RHP Thomas Lane (Georgetown, Mass.) got a sacrifice fly and a strikeout to limit the damage and keep Gill, who allowed four runs on five hits and two walks, in line for the win.

For the day, Frelick went 5-for-9 at the dish. He was 3-for-5 in game two with a triple, a double and two RBI.

During game one, the Purple Aces (4-4) got a single run off of BC freshman right-hander Joe Mancini (Fairfield, Conn.) in the second and the sixth. First baseman Tanner Craig hit a solo home run in the second inning and shortstop Craig Shepherd later drove in Craig for Evansville’s second run.

Mancini (1-1) tossed 5.2 innings and allowed the two runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Righty Adam Lukas (1-1) pitched seven shutout innings to earn the win for the Aces. He struck out six and allowed four hits and one walk.

DETAILS
Scores: Evansville 4, Boston College 0; Boston College 6, Eastern Kentucky 4
Records: Boston College (5-3), Eastern Kentucky (6-4), Evansville (4-4)
Location: Turkey Hughes Field at Earle Combs Ballpark (Richmond, Ky.)
Attendance: 95

QUOTEABLES
Mike Gambino, Head Coach:
“I was proud of the guys. We ran into a really good arm in game one. It was cold, rainy all day, our guys came back and played a really good Eastern Kentucky team and fought and scrapped to get out of there with a [win].”

“Against a left-handed pitcher that’s tough against lefties, Alu had a really veteran at-bat. The [pitcher] made a mistake when he was ahead in the count and Jake put a great swing on it. Jake’s a really good college baseball player that helps you win. He hit the home run, but he also made three really good plays in really big spots, including the ninth.”

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Galland singled to open the game and promptly stole second. He scored the Eagles’ first run of the day on a Frelick triple.
In the field, Galland kept EKU off the board tracking down a deep fly ball in the wind that carried to the track; all with a runner aboard.
Tied 3-3, Gian Martellini led off the sixth with a single up the middle. With two runners in scoring position, Alu blasted a go-ahead, three-run home run down the right-field line.

GAME NOTES

Mancini became the first BC pitcher to start back-to-back games since Andrew Lawrence, who pitched one inning in each game, at Holy Cross (3/23/11) and vs. Virginia Tech (3/25/11).
Mancini set career-highs in innings (5.2) and strikeouts (5).
Frelick, the nation’s leader in stolen bases entering the weekend, swiped his 11^th bag in the sixth inning of game one.
Frelick notched his fifth and sixth multi-hit games of the season.
Morissette posted his fourth multi-hit, third three-hit game of the season and third double.
BC was shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss to Wake Forest (4/13/18).
Galland added his fifth multi-hit game of the season and 22^nd of his career in game two.
Alu hit his first home run of the season, third of his career and first since March 7, 2018, vs. Wofford.
Alu’s home run was the sixth of the season for the Eagles. BC hit just 14 home runs in 2018 and hit its sixth of the season in game 17 on March 18.
Dempsey recorded his second multi-hit game of the season and 21^st of his career.

UP NEXT
The Eagles repeat Friday’s schedule Saturday with a 2 p.m. rematch vs. Evansville and a 6 p.m. first pitch vs. Eastern Kentucky. Senior LHP Zach Stromberg (Lafayette, Calif.) goes in game one for BC followed by freshman RHP Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) in game two.