Eagles Dealt 5-4 Loss From NC State. Lead slips away from BC

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BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team suffered a 5-4 loss to North Carolina State at the Harrington Athletics Village on Saturday afternoon. The Wolfpack claimed the series and moved to 13-11 overall and 7-10 in the ACC, while the Eagles fell below .500 to 14-15 overall and 4-13 in league play.

Junior right-hander Emmet Sheehan (Darien, Conn.) pitched 6.1 innings in the start for BC. He struck out six, but walked four and allowed five hits. Sheehan left in the seventh with a two-run lead, but the tying runs on base. Both came across as NC State used a four-run frame to take its first lead of the day at 5-4.

The Eagles scored in three of the first four innings to lead 4-1 but lacked a knock-out blow against righty Sam Highfill. After BC junior catcher Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.) singled in the fourth run of the day, Highfill (2-2) proceeded to retire the next 10 batters he faced to get through the seventh. He scattered seven hits and one walk to go with three strikeouts before exiting after a leadoff-HBP in the eighth.

Clinging to a one-run lead, the Wolfpack went to the bullpen with the tying run aboard and nobody out in the eighth. Lefty Evan Justice came on and instantly induced a double-play to stymie the threat.

DETAILS
Score: North Carolina State 5, Boston College 4
Records: North Carolina State 13-11, 7-10; Boston College 14-15, 4-13
Location: Harrington Athletics Village
Attendance: 150

BC Highlights

Frelick walked, Morissette singled and Gold singled in the first run of the day in the first.
Galland and Dempsey each singled, executing a hit-and-run, to put runners on the corners. Frelick drove in the first run of the third to break a 1-1 tie and Morissette added a RBI-double.

Game Notes

NC State leads the all-time series 29-16.
BC starting pitchers have gone six innings or more in six consecutive games, including two Sheehan starts, but are only 2-4 over that stretch.
Cody Morissette hit his fourth double of the season and 30^th of his career.
Sheehan pitched six or more innings for the fifth straight start and seventh time in eight starts.

UP NEXT
The series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACCNX. Graduate right-hander Alex Stiegler (Dallas, Texas) gets the start for BC.