Boston College baseball opened its season with a three-game series against Austin Peay, beginning on Friday. BC (1–2) faced the Governors (2–1) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After a season-opening 8–3 win on Friday, the Eagles suffered back-to-back one-run losses, falling to Austin Peay 10–9 on Saturday and 18–17 on Sunday.
After splitting its first two games of the series, the Eagles showed flashes of hope on Sunday. A hot start in the first inning, including a single followed by a home run, put the Eagles up 2–0 in the top of the first.
The Governors scored one in the bottom of the first, but BC’s hot start continued in the second inning. Sophomore Cameron Leary hit a 460-foot bomb—his second home run of the game—with a runner on first and third to put the Eagles up 6–1.
By the end of the top of the fourth, the Eagles held an 11–1 lead. But the tides turned in the bottom of the inning.
The Governors chipped away at the Eagles’ lead by scoring eight runs in the bottom of the fourth, three runs in the fifth, and scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of sixth inning. The Eagles scored two runs during Austin Peay’s streak, but the Governors had tied things up at 13–13 by the end of the sixth inning.
As if it wasn’t already a high scoring game, BC reignited its offense, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning. But the Governors once again inched back and scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to complete an 18–17 victory.
The rapid decline of BC’s bullpen allowed for the weekend’s high-scoring games. The Eagles’ pitching staff struggled to put a pitcher on the mound capable of preventing such a comeback. Playing a total of seven pitchers, closer Joe Vetrano took the loss on a disappointing walk-off that felt like a repeat of Saturday’s game.
On Saturday, BC’s game lasted just over four hours, but the Eagles came up short. BC had an 8–0 lead that Austin Peay cut to 9–4 after six innings. The Governors tied things up in the ninth inning, and Gino Avros walked with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to secure the victory.
Despite the Eagles’ loss, freshman pitcher Sean Hard recorded the most strikeouts by an Eagle in his collegiate debut since Jacob Stevens’ eight in 2016, totaling seven on the afternoon. Travis Honeyman also had a career night, recording his first multi-hit game.
Before losing in the second two games of the series, BC won its first game on Friday. The Eagles got out to a 5–1 through three innings and continued their dominance throughout the rest of the game to finish with an 8–3 win.
Veteran starter Joe Mancini recorded three strikeouts and one walk in his 20th career start, and Vetrano and Parker Landwehr led the Eagles with two RBIs each.
Featured Image by Ikram Ali / Heights Senior Staff
