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Baseball's Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short At No. 1 Virginia
BC scores three but strands tying run at second

March 20, 2010

  • Box Score

    CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Boston College baseball team trailed 4-0 entering the top of the ninth and scored three runs but left the tying run on second as No. 1 Virginia held on to win, 4-3, in front of a record crowd of 3,513 fans at Davenport Field.

    Senior Robbie Anston led off the ninth with a single and sophomore Matt Hamlet walked to put the first two batters of the frame on base. Kevin Arico, Virginia's closer who came on at the start of the inning, got a strikeout and then a fly out and was one out away from ending the game. He hit senior John Spatola, though, to load the bases and put the tying run at the plate. Freshman Matt Watson delivered a bases clearing double on an 0-2 count to the gap in left to pull BC within a run, but Arico got the next batter to strike out to end the game and leave Watson stranded.

    Anston went 2-for-4 in the game for BC (7-11, 1-4 ACC) and junior Mickey Wiswall added a double. Sophomore Mike Dennhardt had his best start on the mound since the opening weekend at Tulane, going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs - three earned - on nine hits. He fanned four and walked one.

    Robert Morey threw 7.0 shutout innings for the Cavaliers (16-3, 4-1) and only allowed four hits. He struck out eight while not issuing a walk.

    Phil Gosselin went 3-for-4 for the `Hoos with a double, an RBI and a run. Dan Grovatt had an RBI triple and Keith Werman drove in a run. John Hicks recorded a double.

    Virginia struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Gosselin singled and then reached second on a balk. Werman then singled up the middle for the game's first run and Grovatt tripled to the gap in right for the 2-0 lead.

     

     

    UVa tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning to build its lead to 4-0. Hicks led off with a double that kicked up some chalk on the left field line and after the first out was recorded, Hultzen drove a ball down the line in left. The fielder got there but the ball tipped off the top of his glove which allowed a run to score. Gosselin then hit the gap in left for an RBI double to push the lead to four runs.

    The Eagles had a couple of chances to put some runs on the board in the sixth and eighth innings but came up empty. In both instances, BC had runners on first and second with one out, but Virginia pitchers induced inning ending double plays to end the threats.

    The series finale between the two teams is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. A replay of Saturday's game can be seen on NESN on Sunday at 6 p.m.