Boston College Baseball: Sheehan, Eagles Dominate North Carolina

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BRIGHTON, Mass. – Junior right-hander Emmet Sheehan (Darien, Conn.) through seven innings of one-run ball and struck out eight to lead No. 21 Boston College baseball in a 10-3 win over No. 14 North Carolina at the Harrington Athletics Village on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles improved to 11-6 overall and 3-5 in the ACC, while the Tar Heels fell to 11-6 and 7-4.

Sheehan pitched through the sixth inning for the fourth time in five starts this season. He gave up one run; scattering six hits and three walks as UNC put a runner on base in each inning.

BC manufactured a pair of runs in the first to take the lead on a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Luke Gold (Ballston, N.Y.). The Eagles added to their lead with a solo home run to left by Gold in the third; his eighth of the season.

The Tar Heels got to Sheehan for a run in the sixth, but the BC started bounced back with two more scoreless innings; striking out two and stranding the tying runs on base in the seventh.

After Sheehan’s eighth strikeout of the game ended the top of the seventh, the Eagles’ lineup erupted for seven runs on four hits and five walks in the bottom half. A trio of graduate students delivered runs to the plate beginning with a double by shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.). First baseman Jack Cunningham (South Riding, Va.) and right fielder Dante Baldelli (Cumberland, R.I.) each picked up two-run singles. Dempsey capped the scoring with a two-run single to push the lead to 10-1.

Cunningham and Dempsey each led the BC offense with a 3-for-5 day and three RBI.

DETAILS
Score: No. 21 Boston College 10, No. 14 North Carolina 3
Records: Boston College 11-6, 3-5 ACC; North Carolina 11-6, 7-4 ACC
Location: Harrington Athletics Village
Attendance: 0

BC Highlights

Dempsey singled and Frelick doubled to set the table in the first and both scored.
Sheehan used a 5-4-3 double play to end the top of the third.
Gold hit a first-pitch, solo home run to left in the third.
Sheehan collected his eighth strikeout of the game to strand the tying runs on base in the seventh.

Game Notes

BC defeated UNC for just the third time in program history and first since 2014.
BC is 6-2 when scoring in the first inning and 7-2 when scoring first.
Cunningham hit his fifth double of the season and 29^th of his career.
Dempsey hit his third double of the season and 20^th of his career.
Frelick hit his sixth double of the season and 16^th of his career.
Gold hit his second home run of the weekend, eighth of the season, and ninth of his career.
Sheehan’s seven-inning start matched a career-high and was his fifth of six or more.

UP NEXT
The series rubber-match is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACCNX. Freshman lefty Joe Vetrano (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) starts on the mound for the Eagles.