Eagles Secure Postseason Spot in Win Over ND

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Metzdorf tossed 7.2 innings of one-run, three-hit ball in 10-1 victory

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team clinched a spot in the 2019 ACC Championship with a 10-1 win over Notre Dame at the Harrington Athletics Village on Thursday night. The Eagles are 28-25 overall, 11-17 in the ACC and will play in their third ACC tournament in four years next week.

Senior left-hander Dan Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) turned in 7.2 innings of one-run, three-hit ball in his final home game as an Eagle. He put up five zeroes on the scoreboard with a 5-0 lead before the Fighting Irish (23-27, 12-16) got a run on him in the sixth; ending a 20-inning scoreless streak amassed in his last three starts. Metzdorf (7-2) allowed five leadoff batters to reach in his seven innings but used to double plays to limit Notre Dame to hit just 1-for-10 against him with a runner on base.

The BC lineup went to work right away in the bottom of the first inning with two walks setting the table for a two-run inning. Senior third baseman Jake Alu(Hamilton, N.J.) drew a leadoff walk for the second game in a row and scored the first run of the night. The Eagles manufactured three more runs an inning later as two singles set the scene.

In the sixth, Boston College responded to the Irish’s first score with a three-run bottom half. Sophomore left fielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.)doubled for his second leadoff knock of the game and scored on a single to left by junior center fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) to match Notre Dame’s run. Alu then put the game out of reach with his fourth home run of the season; a two-run shot over the right-field scoreboard.

Alu went 2-for-3 at the plate with four runs and four RBI. Galland and Baldelli each finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

DETAILS
Score: Boston College 10, Notre Dame 1
Records: Boston College (28-25, 11-17), Notre Dame (23-27, 12-16)
Location: Harrington Athletics Village (Brighton, Mass.)
Attendance: 369

QUOTEABLES
Mike Gambino, Head Coach:
“It was great to [clinch an ACC tournament berth] night one. But we are not just talking about the ACC tournament…depending what happens in the next couple of games here we have a legitimate chance to get into the national tournament too.”

“The thing I love about this team right now is that we are in playoff baseball mode. They are playing loose and having fun. I love being around them, I love watching them.”

“I think what you saw tonight [defensively], is what they have been doing all year. That is as good as a defensive infield as there is in the country.”

BC HIGHLIGHTS

Back-to-back walks set the table in the first and both came in to score on an infield-single from Jack Cunningham; the second run aided by an errant throw home.
Galland hit a leadoff single in the second and Peter Burns executed a hit-and-run single to start a three-run inning.
Alu crushed a two-run home run to right in the sixth.

GAME NOTES

Alu moved his career-best reached base streak to 25 games with a leadoff walk in the first.
Alu came around to score the first run of the game in the first inning for the 100^th run of his career.
Alu stole his 10^th base of the season and 27^th of his career.
Alu hit his fourth home run of the season and sixth of his career.
Alu hit his 17^th double of the season and 35^th of his career to push his hit total to 78, which is tied for sixth most in a single season at BC.
Alu tallied his 22^nd multi-hit game of the season and 47^th of his career.
Baldelli collected his seventh multi-hit game of the season and 19^th of his career.
Galland recorded his 19^th multi-hit game of the season and 36^th of his career.
Galland hit his sixth double of the season and 16^th of his career.
Metzdorf’s scoreless-inning streak came to an end at 20 after a two-out double in the sixth scored a runner that reached on a leadoff single.
Metzdorf made his ninth start of the season of six innings or more, the 17^th by a BC starter, and fifth of seven or more.
Metzdorf jumped two spots to seventh all-time at BC in innings pitched (231.1) and moved up one spot to ninth all-time in strikeouts (184).
BC is 12-5 when scoring in the first inning and 19-5 when scoring first in a game.
BC, which scored in all eight turns at bat vs. Maine (5/14), had its scoring streak end at 10 innings in the third inning.
BC scored double-digit runs for the second game in a row and 11^th time this season.

UP NEXT
Game two of the series is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. Freshman right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) gets the ball for the Eagles.