Boston College: Birds Walk Off No. 23 Noles to Win Mancini's Gem

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BRIGHTON, Mass. – Senior right-handed pitcher Joe Mancini (Fairfield, Conn.) pitched a complete game as Boston College walked off No. 23 Florida State, 3-2, at the Harrington Athletics Village on Friday night. The Eagles loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth and won on a one-out walk to junior left fielder Daniel Baruch (Cranston, R.I.).

The Seminoles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first against Mancini, who responded by setting down 23 consecutive batters. While FSU didn’t get a hit again until the ninth, BC evened the game with a run in the second and one in the fifth.

Mancini (4-3) did not walk a batter and struck out four. He worked around five hits, four of which came in the first inning and allowed just two runs. It marked the first complete game of his career and first by an Eagle since 2019.

Florida State (26-17, 11-11 ACC) lefty Parker Messick tossed eight innings of two-run ball with 12 strikeouts. He allowed five hits and did not issue a walk while hitting one batter. RHP Conner Whittaker (2-2) was the first of three relievers to pitch the ninth and took the loss after hitting the leadoff batter, junior second baseman Luke Gold (Ballston, N.Y.).

Baruch led Boston College (19-28, 5-20) at the plate with a 2-for-3 day. He doubled twice and scored the game-tying run in the fifth on an infield single. Baruch also drove in the first BC run of the game on an RBI groundout in the second.

DETAILS
Scores: Boston College 3, No. 23 Florida State 2
Records: Boston College 19-28, 5-20 ACC; Florida State 26-17, 11-11
Stadium: Harrington Athletics Village
Attendance: 674

BC HIGHLIGHTS
·       Mancini sat down 23 consecutive batters between the first and ninth innings.
·       Mancini made the defensive play of the game on a bunt up the third base line in the seventh, bare-handing and throwing from a knee to first for the first out.
·       Aidan Harrington beat out an infield single to first in the fifth to tie the game as Baruch scored from third.
·       Gold was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth and Joe Vetrano followed with a single, Parker Landwehr with a double. Baruch brought in Gold with the winning run on a walk.

GAME NOTES
·       BC won on a walk-off for the first time since an 11-10 win over Northern Illinois (2/15/20) in Winter Haven, Fla. The last walk-off win at home was over Virginia Tech (3/24/18).
·       BC is 7-17 when the opponent scores first and 6-10 when the opponent scores in the first inning.
·       Baruch doubled twice for his fourth career multi-hit game.
·       Mancini retired 23 batters in a row beginning with the last out of the first inning and first out of the ninth.
·       Mancini pitched a career-high nine innings; marking his fourth straight start of seven-plus innings.
·       Mancini’s complete game was the first by an Eagle since Dan Metzdorf against Louisville (5/22/19) at the ACC Championship.
·       Walsh hit his seventh double of the season.

UP NEXT
Game two is Saturday at 2 p.m. on ACC Network. Graduate righty Henry Leake (Burbank, Calif.) goes to the hill for the Eagles