Coming off a weekday win against Connecticut, Boston College baseball was looking to carry its momentum into the first leg of an impromptu doubleheader against Pittsburgh, which was necessitated by the poor weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
But the Eagles (11–12, 3–7 Atlantic Coast) were unable to shut down the Panthers’ (16–9, 3–4) offense despite getting their own going, and they ultimately suffered a 9–8 loss.
The day started on a rough note when Pittsburgh leadoff hitter Luke Cantwell singled to left. After a fielder’s choice, Colarusso issued a walk, putting runners on first and second.
But the real damage came when Ryan Zuckerman crushed a 415-foot home run to deep left, giving Pitt an early lead.
The BC offense did not leave their pitcher and defense out to dry, though. The Eagles responded with an offensive surge of their own in the bottom of the first, as outfielder Jack Toomey launched a two-run shot to left, closing the deficit to 3–2.
Colarusso bounced back in the second inning by striking out the first two batters swinging. After giving up a walk, he forced a groundout to end the inning quickly.
After a scoreless second inning, the third inning began with a single, a hit by pitch, and a bunt, giving the Panthers runners at second and third with one out. A pair of doubles brought in all the runners and gave Pitt a 6–2 lead.
After a stolen base and a sacrifice fly, Pitt left the top of the inning up 7–2.
BC responded to Pitt’s offensive surge with an even bigger one, scoring six runs in the inning. With a combination of singles, doubles, and stolen bases, BC took an 8–7 lead in the bottom of the third.
But these would be the last scores of the game for the Eagles.
Pittsburgh’s offense prompted head coach Todd Interdonato to dip into his bullpen. JD Ogden replaced Colarusso in the fourth and took control of the game, holding the Panthers to three quiet innings with no runs.
Pittsburgh also made a pitching change in the fourth that proved equally successful. Both teams traded scoreless innings from the fourth through the seventh.
BC relieved Ogden in the seventh, bringing in RHP Joey Ryan. Ryan came out strong, striking out all three batters while allowing only one walk.
The tables turned in the eighth, however, as a leadoff single led to a two-run shot from Pittsburgh pinch hitter Jackson Cooke, giving the Panthers a 9–8 lead.
The Eagles showed signs of life in the eighth, hoping to respond to Pitt’s offense for the third time. Josiah Ragsdale and Patrick Roche delivered a pair of singles, followed by a double steal. But both the eighth and ninth innings ended disappointingly for BC.
Almost exactly four hours after the first pitch of Friday afternoon’s loss, BC took the field yet again to complete its doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
Peter Schaefer got the start on the mound and pitched for three innings, giving up two hits, an earned run, and two walks while striking out two batters. He gave up the first run of the game in the first inning, when his pitch turned into an RBI single to put Pittsburgh in front.
But the bottom of the first was even more productive for BC, and the Eagles quickly erased the Panthers’ slim lead.
Kyle Wolff was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then Josiah Ragsdale reached thanks to a catcher’s interference. Nick Wang followed with a single through the right side, loading the bases for the Eagles.
Toomey’s walk that followed pushed Wolff through home plate, and a walk from Adam Magpoc immediately after sent Ragsdale through home as well. Just like that, the Eagles were up 2–1.
Then, Julio Solier reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Wang from third and ending the inning with BC up 3–1.
Neither team scored another run until the fifth inning, when a sacrifice fly from AJ Nessler scored Logan Duffy.
BC didn’t respond until the seventh inning, when Ragsdale’s double to right center scored Wolff, and Roche’s single up the middle scored Toomey to push the Eagles’ lead to three runs.
A big ninth inning from Pittsburgh erased that once secure lead, though. A throwing error allowed Duffy to get through home plate again, then a sacrifice fly made the score 5–4 BC. Finally, Luke Cantwell scored on a passed ball, tying the game headed into the bottom of the ninth. It was anyone’s game.
And that’s how it remained for four more innings. As the game headed into the bottom of the 13th inning, it was still tied 5–5. BC needed the game-winning run after five straight frames of offensive failure.
Finally, it was the Toomey-Magpoc combo that pulled the Eagles out of their 13-inning long struggle.
Toomey led off with a single up the middle. Then, Magpoc hit an RBI double to right center as Toomey streaked through home plate to win the game for BC 6–5.
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