Walsh, Wang Power Eagles over Hokies in ACC Championship Opener

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DURHAM, N.C. – No. 20 Boston College erased deficits of three and two runs in a come-from-behind, 11-7 win over Virginia Tech in its opening game of the ACC Baseball Championship at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday afternoon. The win propelled the Eagles to 35-17 on the season and set up their Friday game against three-seed Clemson as a winner-moves-on contest for Saturday’s semifinal.

Junior third baseman Nick Wang (Newton, Mass.) and junior first baseman Joe Vetrano (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) accounted for nine RBI, four hits, and three doubles on the day. Senior center fielder Barry Walsh (Sterling, Mass.) added a solo home run, which started a sixth-inning rally, and played stellar defense.

Virginia Tech (30-22) opened the scoring in the top of the first after a leadoff-walk gave way to a Brody Donay sacrifice fly. The Hokies extended their lead to three in the third inning, but the Eagles’ bats began humming in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, graduate catcher Peter Burns (Reading, Mass.) and junior left fielder Patrick Roche (Milton, Mass.) each singled, setting the table for a two-run, bases-clearing double from Vetrano. After senior second baseman Vince Cimini (Scranton, Pa.) walked, Wang followed suit, hitting his own two-run double high off the left-field wall to put BC up 4-3.

The Hokies answered with three more of their own in the top of the fourth, but the Boston College bats were not done. After robbing a home run at the center field wall earlier in the game, Walsh hit one of his own, driving a solo shot 400 feet, cutting the deficit to 6-5. Burns singled, Roche doubled, and after Vetrano drew an intentional walk, Wang cleared the bases again, this time on a line-drive single down the third-base line, giving BC an 8-6 lead.

Sophomore shortstop Sam McNulty (Cambridge, Mass.) got the eighth inning started with a base hit. After walks were issued to Burns and Roche, Vetrano padded the lead, dropping a bases-loaded single into right field, extending the lead to 10-7.

Sophomore right-hander Eric Schroeder (Ridgewood, N.J.) got the start for the Eagles and went 2.1 innings, retiring six of his last seven batters, allowing two hits and one run. Graduate RHP Henry Leake (Burbank, Calif.) threw 2.1 innings out of the pen, striking out two before fellow grad righty Andrew Roman (Monson, Mass.) relieved him in the seventh.

Roman nailed down his ninth save of the season with three innings of one-run ball. Leake (4-5) got the win in a scoreless-outing.

DETAILS
Score: No. 20 Boston College 11, Virginia Tech 7
Records: Boston College 35-17, Virginia Tech 30-22
Stadium: Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Attendance: TBA

BC HIGHLIGHTS
●      Down 3-0 in the third, Burns started a two-out rally with a base hit and Vetrano started the scoring with a two-run double. Wang put BC in front with a two-run double banged off the wall in left-center.
●      Walsh hit a one-out home run in the sixth to bring the Eagles within a run. Wang then hit a bases-clearing, three-run double past third to put BC on top 8-6.
●      Vetrano padded a one-run Eagle lead in the seventh with a two-run, bases-loaded single to right.
●      Mercado plated the last run of the day with a double to score McNulty.

GAME NOTES
●      BC is 6-7 all-time in the ACC Championship.
●      BC is 29-35 all-time against Virginia Tech. The two teams previously met in the postseason at the 2002 Big East Tournament; a 2-1 VT win.
●      BC is 12-10 when the opponent scores in the first inning and 11-13 when the opponent scores first.
●      Burns recorded his ninth multi-hit game of the season and 24th of his career.
●      Burns went 3-for-4 and extended his hit streak to a career-best six games.
●      Vetrano hit his 11th double of the season and 21st of his career.
●      Vetrano has reached a career-best 22 straight games.
●      Vetrano registered his 19th multi-hit game of the season and 38th of his career.
●      Vetrano pushed his season RBI total to 55, which is tied for eighth in a single season in program history with Sean McGowan (1997 and 1998). It is the most RBI in a season since John Spatola and Mickey Wiswall (2010).
●      Walsh hit his sixth home run of the season and 11th of his career.
●      Wang doubled twice to push his season total to 12.
●      Wang tallied his 12th multi-hit game of the season.
●      Wang posted five or more RBI for the third time this season.

UP NEXT
Boston College plays three-seed Clemson on Friday at 11 a.m. on ACC Network to wrap up Pool C with a spot in the semifinals on the line.