Eight-Run Seventh Swings Nightcap for Eagles

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BC Baseball splits Saturday doubleheader in Kentucky

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Boston College baseball team split its doubleheader action for the second day in a row at Earle Combs Stadium with a 4-3 loss to Evansville and a 13-2 victory over host Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. The Eagles moved their record to 6-4 on the season after winning the nightcap behind an eight-run eighth inning.

All eight runs came with two outs in what was a 1-1 ballgame through six innings. A bases-loaded walk to freshman catcher Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.) put BC, which had briefly led 1-0 in the fifth, back in front. Senior third baseman Jake Alu(Hamilton, N.J.) then cleared the bases with a double to center before the Eagles put four more runs on the board in the frame.

Freshman RHP Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) pitched six innings of one-run ball and was cruising on just 86 pitches before his offense erupted in the seventh or a 28-minute top half of the inning that saw 12 BC batters head to the plate. Pelio (1-0) returned to the hill for the seventh and sat EKU down in order; striking out the last two. He allowed just one run on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in his second start of the season.

Lefty Brennan Kelly (2-1) lasted 6.2 innings for the Colonels (7-5). He took the loss by surrendering six runs, five earned, on five hits and two walks.

Freshman second baseman Cody Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) capped the scoring the Boston College in the ninth with a two-out grand slam to right-center. It marked his second home run of the year and the seventh of the season for the Eagles.

Trailing 4-1 after the sixth inning of game one against Evansville, BC put together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh. Freshman designated hitter Lucas Stalman(Bedford Hills, N.Y.) got the bats going with a single and Alu followed with a single of his own. Junior center fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) then drew a 10-pitch walk to load the bases. Two more walks cut the deficit to one run.

Evansville (5-5) left-handed starter Nathan Croner (2-1) was pushed to 102 pitches after facing Baldelli in the seventh. He pitched 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Boston College twice got the tying run to third base in the final two frames. Junior first baseman Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) lined a leadoff double to the gap in left-center and reached third on a groundout to the right side. In the ninth, sophomore left fielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.) punched a two-out triple into the right-field corner, but both runners were left 90 feet short of home plate.

Senior lefty Zach Stromberg (Lafayette, Calif.) lasted just 2.2 innings in the start. Stromberg (0-1) surrendered two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

DETAILS
Scores: Evansville 4, Boston College 3; Boston College 13, Eastern Kentucky 2
Records: Boston College (6-4), Eastern Kentucky (7-5), Evansville (5-5)
Location: Turkey Hughes Field at Earle Combs Ballpark (Richmond, Ky.)
Attendance: 55

BC HIGHLIGHTS

  • Gian Martellini grabbed the first hit of game two in the fifth and Baldelli followed by driving in the first run of the game with a two-out single to center.
  • In the sixth, Baldelli crashed into the wall, tracking down a deep fly ball to the track in right-center.
  • Brian Dempsey and Cunningham set the table in the Eagles’ eight-run seventh with back-to-back singles.
  • Baldelli was intentionally walked to load the bases in the seventh to get to Burns, who watched four straight pitches out of the zone to drive in the go-ahead run.
  • Alu, who homered in Friday’s win over EKU, picked up his 13th career multi-RBI game with the 20th double of his career.
  • A walk, hit-by-pitch and an infield single loaded the bases for Morissette’s grand slam in the ninth.

GAME NOTES

  • Stalman made his first career start as an Eagle; becoming the fifth BC freshman to start in the batting order this season.
  • Michael Marzonie set career-highs in innings (3.0) and strikeouts (4).
  • In game one, BC was held without a stolen base or a stolen base attempt for the first time this season.
  • The Eagles struck out a season-high 10 vs. Evansville.
  • Sal Frelick’s season-long, eight-game hit streak came to an end with a 0-for-4 game one.
  • Pelio became the third BC pitcher to throw seven or more innings in a start.
  • Pelio was the first Eagle freshman to throw seven innings in a start since Matt Gill vs. Villanova (2/25/17) in Norman, Okla. and first freshman with seven innings and one run or fewer since Jacob Stevens vs. Louisville (4/22/16).
  • Dempsey and Cunningham each picked up two hits in the seventh inning of game two; marking the first time a BC player collected two hits in an inning since Jake Palomaki vs. Wofford (3/7/18).
  • For Dempsey, it was his third multi-hit game of the season, 22nd of his career and sixth career three-hit game, while it was Cunningham’s second of the season and 13th of his career.
  • Morissette hit his first career grand slam, second home run of the season and the first grand slam by an Eagle since Martellini at Notre Dame (4/27/18).

UP NEXT
Boston College is scheduled for a Wednesday midweek match-up at Kentucky at 6 p.m. The game will air on SEC Network-Plus.

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