Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Harvard
Baseball Holds Off Harvard, 4-3
April 14, 2000 | Baseball
April 14, 2000
Cambridge, Mass. - - Boston College escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to string together a six-game winning streak for the first time since 1997 by defeating Harvard 4-3 Thursday in Cambridge. BC is now 23-11 after beating the Crimson on the 100th anniversary of the first-ever Harvard-Boston College baseball contest. HU falls to an even 13-13.
BC got 7.0 strong innings from starter Paul Knapic (Bayside, N.Y.) and 12 hits to key the victory. Knapic struck out a career-high nine batters while allowing just five hits and two runs (one earned). He walked six as Harvard stranded 12 men on base. Four of Knapic's nine strikeouts came with the bases loaded.
The Eagles scored one run in both the second and third innings, as Eric Olson (Oakland, Calif.) had an RBI groundout, and Mike Gambino (Garrison, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly.
The Crimson tied it up at 2-2 in the third inning when Faiz Shakir and Mark Mager crossed the plate on Nick Carter's infield single and Mike Hubbard's throwing error.
BC went ahead 3-2 in the seventh inning, thanks to Olson's seventh home run of the year and second in as many games. He was 2-for-4 on the afternoon with two RBIs. The Eagles added another run in the eighth, when Steve Langone (Reading, Mass.) led off with a double to right center, moved to third on Joe Kealty's (Framingham, Mass.) fly then scored on a wild pitch. Langone and catcher Jeff Mackor (Salem, N.H.) each picked up a pair of hits on the afternoon.
In the bottom of the ninth, Jeff Bridich and Shakir led off with back-to-back singles and were promptly moved on a sacrifice bunt by Mager. Scott Carmack brought Bridich home on a sacrifice fly. Following John Franey's infield single and a walk to Nick Carter, BC freshman Matt Duffey (San Antonio, Texas) got Brian Lentz to line out to center to end the game and earn the save.
The Eagles vye for its seventh consecutive victory on Saturday (April 15) at home against BIG EAST foe Seton Hall. Game one of the doubleheader begins at noon. The last time BC earned seven consecutive victories was March 29 - April 6 of 1995.
