From the very first at-bat in the series finale between Boston College baseball and Georgia Tech, the Eagles were in total control.
After seeing two pitches, leadoff hitter Patrick Roche smashed a fastball over the center field fence to give the Eagles an early lead. This was Roche’s second leadoff home run in the series, as he tallied one on Thursday as well.
Adam Magpoc added to the scoring later in the inning, hitting a three-run homer to right field to score Kyle Wolff and Cameron Leary. Cam Caraher added one more run in the first inning after a wild pitch from Logan McGuire.
While the Eagles’ offense stole the show in Saturday’s matchup between BC (15–11, 5–7 Atlantic Coast) and Georgia Tech (16–10, 3–6 Atlantic Coast), the pitching from the Eagles solidified the sweep.
A.J. Colarusso recorded the win for the Eagles, going seven innings with three earned runs. Colarusso tallied six strikeouts whilst giving up seven hits.
BC’s lead grew to 6–0 in the second inning after a sacrifice fly from Wolff scored Sam McNulty. The inning ended after Roche was caught stealing at second base.
Georgia Tech got on the board in the second inning after a balk from Colarusso scored Payton Green.
The Yellow Jackets further cut into the lead in the third inning after an RBI single from Drew Burress scored Trey Yunger.
In the fourth inning, the Eagles were able to blow the game open with a flurry of clutch hits. Roche started the avalanche, hitting a double to right field to score Beck Milner. Leary added two RBIs of his own by smashing a home run to right center field. After Wolff doubled to left center, another double from Nick Wang brought him across home.
The scoring did not stop there for the Eagles, though.
Magpoc added the final run of the inning with a single up the middle to score Wang. The Eagles left the bases loaded to end the frame but led 11–2 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The next run came in the seventh inning with a double down the left-field line from Georgia Tech’s Parker Brosius. Colarusso was able to escape any danger and got out of the inning with only one run allowed. He was pulled after the seventh inning with 106 total pitches thrown.
The eighth inning was an offensive showcase for both teams, featuring nine runs scored. Five of these were scored by BC, starting with a home run into left field from Wolff. Caraher then added another run with an RBI single to right center field, later scoring on a wild pitch. Roche added the final two runs, with a single through the left side. The Eagles took a 16–3 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning.
With the Yellow Jackets needing four runs to avoid the 10-run rule, their offense needed to step up. A two-run homer from Ryan Jaros and a two-run double from Jett Lovett meant that Georgia Tech did just enough to avoid the mercy rule. BC’s Gavin Hasche made sure the lead didn’t shrink any further.
Hasche shut the Yellow Jackets down in the ninth inning, ensuring a series sweep for the Eagles.
The Eagles carried momentum from their Thursday win over Georgia Tech and were able to pick up another 5–3 victory over the Yellow Jackets on Friday night to send BC into the weekend on a three-game win streak.
BC’s win was all but loud. In fact, the Eagles were nearly silent through the first nine innings, compiling a mere two runs. Headed into the tenth inning, the score was tied 2–2. Neither team had passed home plate since the top of the seventh, as BC’s John West had pitched six straight shutout frames.
But in the tenth inning, with the game on the line, the Eagles finally broke through.
Georgia Tech pitcher Tate McKee allowed two BC walks, leaving the bases loaded just in time for Parker Landwehr to step up to the plate.
Landwehr did not disappoint.
He sent a single into right center field, sending Austin Hartsell and Cameron Leary through home plate and allowing Vince Cimini to reach third before being stopped. Cam Caraher’s bunt single moments later scored Cimini, putting the Eagles up 5–2.
In the bottom of the inning, the Eagles still needed a stop to keep the game in their hands.
Jordan Fisse stepped up to the mound, looking to throw a second consecutive runless inning. But after throwing a single and allowing two walks, Todd Interdonato decided to instead put his trust in Kyle Kipp to close the game out.
Kipp’s chance on the mound started seemingly even more disastrous than Fisse’s opportunity. Parker Brosius reached first on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases and scoring Drew Burress to bring the game within two runs.
But Burress’s run turned out to be inconsequential.
Payton Green stepped up to bat and hit Kipp’s pitch out to BC’s shortstop. He retrieved the ground ball and sent it to second base, striking out a Yellow Jacket. Then, the ball flew to Wang, who was waiting at first base and tagged Green out, to end the game on a double play.
Following the play, Wang jumped up and down, pounding his chest in celebration.
Despite the down-to-the-wire end of the matchup, BC’s first run of the game did not come until the third inning, when Patrick Roche came to the rescue for the Eagles after they failed to record a single hit in the first two innings.
Roche hit Aeden Finateri’s pitch high and long into right center, handing BC a home run to cut Georgia Tech’s lead to one. The homer came after a two-run second inning for the Yellow Jackets, during which a bunt from Vahn Lackey scored the first run of the game.
After Roche’s big hit, both teams went scoreless until the seventh inning, when the Eagles were able to tie things up.
Caraher singled to left center. After Adam Magpoc grounded out, Caraher took things into his own hands and stole third base. The Yellow Jackets helped him out, committing a throwing error that allowed him to fly through home plate and tie the game up.
The tie caused the game to go into an extra inning, during which the Eagles’ late offensive breakthrough and optimally timed double play resulted in a win.
