Boston College baseball began Wednesday afternoon’s game against Quinnipiac with a walk and a double. Both baserunners crossed home plate later in the inning, setting the tone for a dominant offensive performance from the Eagles. BC would proceed to score runs in seven of its eight innings at bat, coasting to a comfortable 11-5 victory.
RBIs from Jake Alu and Gian Martellini gave the Eagles an early 2-0 lead after the first frame. BC (17-17, 6-9 Atlantic Coast) added two more runs in the second, thanks to a two-out rally. A Chris Galland single drove in Dante Baldelli, and Jacob Yish then scored with clever base running as Baldelli drew a throw on a steal attempt. The second inning also marked the end of Joe Mancini’s starting pitching outing. The freshman turned in two solid innings of work, picking up two strikeouts and only giving up one hit.
Nick Couhig replaced Mancini and got into a little trouble, allowing three hits in the top of the third. Fortunately for the Eagles, a big double play prevented the visiting Wildcats (13-17, 7-2 Metro Atlantic Athletic) from scoring more than one run in the inning. A Ramon Jimenez double added a fifth run for the Eagles, and Joe Suozzi hit his first home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field.
Jack Nelson was the next Eagles pitcher to take the mound. He conceded one run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The Bobcats scored two more runs off Nelson in the fifth on another sacrifice fly and a single. Yet BC always had an answer. In the bottom half of the fourth, Jake Alu picked up his 21st RBI of the season on a line drive single to left field. In the fifth, Suozzi crossed home again, this time on a passed ball.
Michael Marzonie would pitch the next two innings for BC, giving up one run in two innings. Marzonie did not give up a hit but he did allow a run, as Quinnipiac scored via a throwing error from Cody Morissette. Still, the Eagles’ bats remained red hot, as Alu continued his great game, driving in two more runs through a single in the sixth.
Three more BC pitchers took the mound, as Will Hesslink, Sean Hughes, and Travis Lane combined to pitch a scoreless final two innings. In all, the Eagles used seven pitchers on the afternoon. BC never let up, tacking on one more run, courtesy of a Brian Dempsey single. It was a fitting end to the game for Dempsey, as his four total hits led all batters.
The Eagles are in the midst of a much-needed three game win streak. The up-and-down season for BC has seen some great moments—such as a series win at Florida State—and frustrating losses, like back-to-back defeats to Massachusetts and Hartford. Still, it has been an extremely promising campaign for the Eagles, and three straight wins show that things are starting to gel. Their tremendous young talent has been put on display, and BC has already matched its win total from all of last season.
That said, if BC wants to turn an encouraging season into a special one, it must carry its current momentum into the rest of the challenging ACC season. The Eagles will be tested immediately, as they host a skilled Georgia Tech team this weekend.
Featured Image by Jonathan Ye / Heights Editor
