Boston College
Northeastern (Beanpot Tournament)
Baseball Falls To Northeastern In Beanpot Championship, 7-3
April 23, 2002 | Baseball
April 23, 2002
BOSTON - The Boston College baseball team continued its struggles from the plate on Tuesday afternoon as it fell to cross-town rival Northeastern, 7-3, in the championship game of the Beanpot tournament at historic Fenway Park. Following 32 hits in the first two games against Villanova last weekend, the Eagles have only been able to muster up 12 hits in their previous two contests.
With the loss, the Eagles (22-16, 11-6 BIG EAST) ended their four-game winning streak at the Beanpot and their attempt at a sixth championship. For the Huskies of Northeastern (16-13, 4-8 America East), it is their first title since 1995 and their third overall. More discouraging for Boston College is that it will head into this huge BIG EAST weekend series against St. John's on a three-game losing streak.
One story for today's game was Boston College's inefficiency at the plate, as it recorded only seven hits on the afternoon. On the other hand, Northeastern pounded out 13 hits and could have tallied several more runs as it stranded 11 base runners.
The game did start off like Boston College wanted, as head coach Pete Hughes pulled starting pitcher Paul Knapic after just two-thirds of an inning due to soreness in his right arm. Knapic, who pitched in his first game in over a year last Wednesday against Harvard following Tommy John surgery, allowed zero hits, two runs (both unearned), walked two and struck out one Northeastern batter.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Eagles posted one run in the second when left fielder Brian Durkin grounded out to short stop Omar Pena, which allowed catcher Jeff Mackor to score from third base. The Eagles kept their momentum alive in the third inning, as short stop Ryan Morgan singled to right field allowing second baseman Josh DiScipio to score from third and tie the game up at 2-2.
Shortly after tying the game up, the Huskies' got their offense back on track in the third inning. The Huskies banged Boston College relief pitcher James Dawson around for three runs on three hits to give themselves a 5-2 cushion. Designated hitter Miguel Paquette, left fielder Ben Beck and second baseman Erik Hagstrom drove in the three runs for Northeastern in the third.
Dawson lasted only 3.2 innings for the Eagles, as he gave up nine hits, four runs (all earned), one walk while striking out five Husky batters. For Dawson (1-1), it ended up being his first loss of the season.
Following two more runs by the Huskies in the fifth, Boston College tallied its final run of the game in the fifth when Morgan grounded out to Hagstrom, which allowed designated hitter Zach Keenan to score from second.
One positive for the Eagles was that the four doubles they recorded on the afternoon gave them 100 for the season. DiScipio was the only Boston College player to record two hits, both of which were doubles. Sophomore Mike Gauthier and freshman Joe Martinez gave BC some solid relief work, as they combined to go 4.2 innings allowing only four hits, zero runs, zero walks while striking out four batters.
Northeastern starting pitcher Matt Cavallaro (1-2), who was named the tournament's most valuable player, went the entire way allowing only seven hits, three runs (all earned), two walks while striking out three batters. He also recorded three, 1-2-3 innings for the Huskies, which was important, as the Eagles enter today's game batting .316 as a team.
Boston College gets back to BIG EAST action at 12 p.m. Saturday when it plays a doubleheader against St. John's at Shea Field. The series against the Red Storm will conclude at 12 p.m. Sunday with a single game. The Eagles are presently in a three-way tie for first place with Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.
