April 18, 2009

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - A pair of freshmen delivered key hits in the eighth inning as Brad Zapenas drove in the go-ahead run with a double and Anthony Melchionda had a pinch hit, two-run single to lead the Boston College baseball team from behind to beat No. 13 Virginia, 9-6, on Saturday at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.

After Virginia took the lead in the top of the eighth, juniors Mike Belfiore and Barry Butera both walked to start the bottom half of the inning and then sophomore Garret Smith laid down a perfectly placed bunt for a hit to load the bases with nobody down. Sophomore Mike Sudol got the tying run home with a sac fly to left field.

Zapenas then stepped to the plate and delivered a double to the gap in right on an 0-1 count to bring home the go-ahead run and put BC up for the first time in the game, 7-6. Melchionda came off the bench and came up with a clutch hit, sending the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a single and two more runs to push the lead to 9-6.

Zapenas went 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored. Sudol went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run. Butera and Smith both had two hits and runs apiece while Butera hit a solo home run in the fourth to tie the game for the first time. Sophomore Mickey Wiswall also had a solo shot, his seventh of the season.

Belfiore picked up the win on the mound after throwing 2.0 innings. Boston College's middle relief kept the Cavaliers at bay as sophomores Nate Bayuk and Dave Laufer and freshman Mike Dennhardt combined to throw a perfect 2.1 innings.

Virginia got it going right away with three runs before BC recorded an out. Phil Gosselin walked to leadoff the game and then John Hicks singled to center to put the first two batters on base for Danny Hultzen, who took a 3-2 delivery over the wall in right-center to put Virginia up quickly, 3-0.

Boston College (24-14, 10-8 ACC) got two of those runs back in the bottom of the second to pull within a run. Wiswall led off the inning and blasted a 3-2 pitch to dead center over the 400-foot marker for the Eagles' first run.

Smith singled down the third base line with two outs to keep the inning alive and then Sudol hit the gap in left-center field for a double that rolled to the wall to bring Smith all the way around to score.

BC tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Butera got a hold of a 2-0 offering and sent it over the wall in right-center to deadlock the game, 3-3.

Virginia pulled right back into the lead in the top of the fifth with two more runs. Hicks led off and walked and then Hultzen continued his hot hitting when he pulled a double to right-center for another RBI to put the Cavaliers back on top, 4-3. Dan Grovatt walked to put two men on with nobody out. A double steal moved both runners to scoring position and after a strikeout, Cannon used a sac fly to center to plate Hultzen and put Virginia up 5-3.

The Eagles tied the game up again in the bottom of the seventh with two more runs. Sudol led off and singled up the middle and then Zapenas battled with two strikes at the plate and ended up with a single to put two Eagles aboard with nobody out. Junior Robbie Anston sacrificed the pair into scoring position and then Sudol scored when a wild pitch got through the catcher's legs to pull BC within a run.

Senior Harry Darling came on to pinch hit and chopped a grounder to the shortstop who had to back pedal to get the ball on the right bounce. He couldn't make the play and Darling reached on an infield single to score Zapenas and tie the game for the second time, 5-5.

The Cavaliers earned the lead back immediately with a run in the top of the eighth. Steven Proscia led off the frame and singled to left field and then Jarrett Parker walked to put two aboard with one out. John Barr brought a run home with a single to left to put Virginia back on top, 6-5, only to see the lead disappear in the bottom half of the inning.

Hultzen went 2-for-5 for Virginia (29-8-1, 10-7-1 ACC) with a double, home run, two runs and four RBI. Grovatt also had a pair of hits and one of them was a double.

The rubber match between the two teams is slated for Sunday at noon at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.