Boston College Baseball: Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short vs. Pitt

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BRIGHTON, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team lost to Pittsburgh, 10-9, at the Harrington Athletics Village on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers (18-12, 7-7 ACC) put seven runs on the board in the third and consistently held off the Eagles (14-18, 3-12) comeback attempts, including a ninth-inning rally.

Sophomore right fielder Cameron Leary (Bethpage, N.Y.) blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth with one out to cut the deficit to one and bring the tying run to the plate. Pitt closer Baron Stuart, who entered with a 10-5 lead, finished off the next two batters to preserve the win and earn his fourth save despite allowing three runs across three innings of work.

Right-hander Billy Corcoran (4-2) pitched six innings before being lifted after the leadoff batter reached in the seventh. He allowed six runs, the first five all being unearned after a two-out error in the third. Corcoran struck out five to one walk and four hits.

For BC, senior right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) struck out five batters and did not allow a hit once through the Pitt order through two innings. Pelio (1-3) ran into trouble in the third as he gave up six of the Panther runs in that frame. He finished the day with five walks and four hits against.

The Panthers’ seven-run frame was highlighted by a three-run home run from left fielder Ron Washington Jr., who finished the day 2-for-5. The Eagles hit three home runs on the day as sophomore first baseman Joe Vetrano (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) and junior catcher Parker Landwehr (Baltimore, Md.) went back-to-back as BC answered with five runs in the home half of the third.

DETAILS
Scores: Pittsburgh 10, Boston College 9
Records: Pittsburgh 18-12, 7-7; Boston College 14-18, 3-12
Stadium: Harrington Athletics Village
Attendance: 408

BC HIGHLIGHTS
· The Eagles responded to a seven-run top of the third with five runs, including a three-run Vetrano home run and a solo shot by Landwehr as the BC duo went back-to-back.
· Leary hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate.

GAME NOTES
·       BC trails the all-time series with Pitt, 27-32.
·       Landwehr hit his sixth home run of the season and seventh of his career.
·       Landwehr hit his third double of the series, 10^th of the season, and 12^th of his career.
·       Landwehr recorded his 13^th multi-hit game of the season and 14^th of his career.
·       Leary hit his sixth double of the season and seventh of his career.
·       Leary tallied his 10^th multi-hit game of the season and 14^th of his career.
·       Leary hit his 13^th home run of the season and 15^th of his career. He tied Steve Langone (1999) for the eighth-most home runs in a season in BC history.
·       Vetrano hit his 11^th home run of the season, which is tied for the 10^th most in single-season history at BC with Mike Belfiore (2009) and Chris Shaw (2015).
·       Vetrano registered his 13^th multi-hit game of the season and 14^th of his career.
·       Vetrano matched his career-high in RBI with four.
·       Vetrano and Landwehr hit back-to-back home runs; becoming the first pair of Eagles to do so since Luke Gold and Cameron Leary against Maine (3/9/21).