Series Opener vs. No. 1 NC State Decided in the Ninth

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Eagles rally twice; fall a run short in the ninth

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team’s late-inning comeback against No. 1 North Carolina State was not enough in a 6-5 loss at the Harrington Athletics Village on Friday evening. The Eagles fell to 14-16 overall and 5-8 in the ACC, while the Wolfpack lifted its record to 28-3 and 11-2.

NC State, which did not trail in the game, pulled away from a 3-3 tie with a three-run top of the ninth. BC rallied in the bottom half; loading the bases with one out on two walks and an infield single from junior right fielder Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) that kicked fair halfway up the third base line.

Senior designated hitter Gian Martellini (Johnston, R.I.) grounded to first on the next play and the Wolfpack went for the force at home. Sophomore left fielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.) was initially called out on the play, but the umpires conferenced after the play and determined the catcher dropped the ball and the run scored.

With the tying runs in scoring position, freshman second baseman Cody Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) hit a soft liner to shallow center field. Cunningham, the runner at second, held on the play and went back to the bag. A run crossed the plate, but Cunningham was caught in a rundown after a force out at second and was ultimately tagged to end the game on his way to third.

Right-hander Jason Parker kept the Eagles to just four hits through six and finished his start with one run allowed on five hits and a walk in 6.1 innings with four strikeouts. LHP Evan Justice (2-0) got the win by striking out Burns with Jimenez on third to finish the eighth. He stayed on to pitch the ninth but was pulled after walking the leadoff batter.

Senior lefty Dan Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) lasted 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits, three of which stayed on the infield, and three walks with six strikeouts. Metzdorf worked through the sixth for the third week in a row. Redshirt-sophomore lefty Joey Walsh (Plymouth, N.H.) took the loss with one-plus inning of relief and three runs allowed on three hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Trailing 3-0 at the seventh inning stretch, BC’s bottom of the order got the bats going with a leadoff-, infield-single by junior center fielder Joe Suozzi (Glen Cove, N.Y.). Suozzi moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle by freshman catcher Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.). BC was able to take advantage of an error in the inning and plate a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice-fly but stranded two runners in scoring position.

The Eagles tied the game in the eighth with extra-base hits from a pair of freshmen. Morissette legged out a double and scored on a two-out, two-strike triple over the right fielder’s head off the bat of first baseman Ramon Jimenez (Chicopee, Mass.).

Walsh (0-3) issued a leadoff walk in the ninth, his second inning of relief, to NC State second baseman David Vazquez. Playing for a run, a sacrifice attempt was bunted for a hit and third baseman Vojtech Mensik followed with a hit-and-run knock through the space vacated at second base that plated Vazquez with the go-ahead run.

DETAILS
Score: North Carolina State 6, Boston College 5
Records: North Carolina State (28-3, 11-2), Boston College (14-16, 5-8)
Location: Harrington Athletics Village (Brighton, Mass.)
Attendance: 240

GAME NOTES

Cunningham made his first start in right field this season and Ramon Jimenez made his first start at first base; ending a season-long streak of 29 games with the same starting infield.
Cunningham hit his seventh double of the season and 16^th of his career.
Galland hit his fourth double of the season and 14^th of his career.
Galland stole his 13^th base of the season and 41^st of his career, which tied Ryan Hutchinson (2005-07) for seventh all-time at BC.
Metzdorf pitched his fourth game of six-plus innings on the season and third in a row. It was the ninth by a BC pitcher all season.
Metzdorf matched his season-high in strikeouts at six for the fourth time this season.
Morissette hit his ninth double of the season.
Jimenez hit his first triple of the season to record his second multi-hit game of the year.
The Eagles are 4-6 against ranked opponents this season.