Eagles Win ACC Opener; Split First Two Games at No. 11 Duke

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DURHAM, N.C. – The Boston College Eagles baseball team trailed on three occasions in its ACC opener at No. 11 Duke before pulling away with five unanswered runs after the seventh to claim a 10-6 victory at Durham Bulls Athletics Park. The game started Friday afternoon but was suspended after the fifth inning due to heavy rain. The Blue Devils (3-3, 1-1 ACC) took game two of the series 10-3.

The Eagles (4-1, 1-1 ACC) pounded out 15 hits in the opener led by a 3-for-6 effort from junior center fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.). Sophomore second baseman Luke Gold (Ballston, N.Y.) drove in four runs in a 2-for-5 performance.

In the eighth, graduate first baseman Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) tied the game, 6-6, with a RBI-double banged off the wall in left field. A batter later, Gold ripped a double of his own, scoring two on his second two-run hit of the game.

Graduate lefty Joey Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) made a spot start on Friday and pitched 3.2 innings. He allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks. Sophomore right-hander Max Gieg (Lynn, Mass.) got the win, working the final two innings. He got into trouble in the eighth, but a double play stymied the threat. Gieg (1-0) set the Blue Devils down in order in the ninth.

Duke jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first against junior right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) in game two. The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire and tagged Pelio (1-1) for six runs on eight hits and five walks with seven strikeouts.

Senior left fielder Chris Galland (Sudbury, Mass.) homered and hit a RBI-double in a 2-for-4 game. Frelick went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.

Henry Williams (1-0) pitched six innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts to one walk. Third baseman Erikson Nichols went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while left fielder RJ Schreck drove in three runs with a 2-for-4 game.

DETAILS

Score: Boston College 10-3, Duke 6-10

Records: Boston College 4-1 (1-1 ACC); Duke 3-3 (1-1 ACC)

Location: Durham Bulls Athletic Park (Durham, N.C.)

Attendance: 0

BC Highlights

· Trailing 2-0, BC tied the game in the second with a RBI-double by Jimenez and a RBI-single from Baldelli.

· BC erased another two-run deficit with a three-run fifth. Gold tied the game with a two-run, bases-loaded single, and Burns hit a go-ahead single up the middle.

· Down 6-5, Cunningham doubled off the wall in left to tie the game before Gold put the Eagles back in front with a two-run double.

Game Notes

· BC leads the all-time series vs. Duke, 20-15.

· The Eagles are 5-11 all-time in ACC openers.

· BC defeated a ranked opponent for the first time since taking down No. 7 Louisville (5/22/19).

· Frelick posted a pair of multi-hit games to push his career total to 25.

· Galland hit his first career home run.

· Jimenez recorded his fourth career multi-hit game and first career two-double game.

UP NEXT

The series rubber-match is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACCNX. Sophomore RHP Emmet Sheehan (Darien, Conn.) is scheduled to start on the mound.

Boston College 10, Duke 6 (Feb 26, 2021, at Durham, N.C.)
—————————————————————-
Boston College…… 020 030 032 – 10 15 0 (4-0, 1-0)
Duke……………. 200 210 100 – 6 14 4 (2-3, 0-1)
—————————————————————-
Pitchers: Boston College – Walsh, Joey; Stiegler, Alex(4); Vetrano, Joe(6); Ryan, Joey(7); Gieg, Max(8) and Burns, Peter. Duke – C Stinson; M Dockman(5); M Johnson(6); L Fox(8); J Loper(9); J Allen(9) and Rothenberg.
Win-Gieg, Max(1-0) Loss-M Johnson(0-2) T-4:25 A-0
HR DU – C Knight (2).
Weather: 45
C Stinson faced 2 batters in the 5th.
L Fox faced 1 batter in the 9th.

Game started Friday and concluded Saturday afternoon.

Duke 10, Boston College 3 (Feb 27, 2021, at Durham, N.C.)
—————————————————————-
Boston College…… 001 010 100 – 3 7 0 (3-1, 1-1)
Duke……………. 210 313 00X – 10 16 2 (3-3, 1-1)
—————————————————————-
Pitchers: Boston College – Pelio, Mason; Mancini, Joe(5); Coon, Charlie(6); West, John(8) and Burns, Peter; Landwehr, Parker. Duke – H Williams; O Mccarthy(7) and Rothenberg; R Maxwell.
Win-H Williams(1-0) Save-O Mccarthy(1) Loss-Pelio, Mason(1-1) T-3:17 A-0
HR BC – Galland, Chris (1).
Weather: 57, partly cloudy