Boston College
Boston Red Sox
Baseball Loses To Boston Red Sox, 9-6
February 28, 2003 | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2003
FORT MYERS, Fla. - For the third time in four games this season, the baseball team out-hit its opponent only to come out on the losing end. That occurrence was somewhat more excusable Friday night considering the Eagles' opponent: the Boston Red Sox.
Despite owning a 12-8 advantage in the hits department, BC lost to a split-squad Red Sox team, 9-6, in a seven-inning exhibition game at City of Palms Park. The Eagles have yet to defeat the Sox in 13 all-time meetings.
Boston College jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Red Sox even came to bat. Sophomore Ryan Leahy (Salem, Mass.) started things off with a bouncing double down the left-field line on the second pitch of the game. After a lineout to second, sophomore Drew Locke (Weymouth, Mass.), celebrating his 20th birthday, singled to right, putting runners on first and third.
Senior Matt Lederhos (Westwood, Mass.) followed with an infield single, bringing in Leahy with the game's first run.
Sophomore Ryan Morgan (Weymouth, Mass.) then laced a double over the left fielder's head, scoring two more to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. A single by sophomore Jason Delaney (Hanson, Mass.) put runners on the corners, and senior Vinny Scavone (Seffner, Fla.) brought Morgan around on a sac fly to left, increasing BC's bulge to 4-0.
The Red Sox got three of those back in the bottom of the inning on Shea Hillenbrand's two-run bases-loaded single and Lou Merloni's bases-loaded walk.
Nomar Garciaparra gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the second when he drilled a two-run double to the left-centerfield gap. A two-run single by Merloni with two outs made it a 7-4 game.
Scavone drove in his second run of the game on an RBI single in the top of the third, and the Eagles pushed across another run on a double play later in the inning to narrow the gap to 7-6.
The Red Sox added another run in the third on Jason Varitek's RBI fielder's choice.
Two innings later Andy Dominique drilled a solo shot to left, giving the Sox a 9-6 advantage.
Morgan went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Lederhos also crossed the plate twice.
Senior Matt Elfeldt (Delmar, N.Y.), sophomore Jake Marsello (Lynn, Mass.) and junior Matt O'Donnell (Marlboro, Mass.) each pitched one inning of shutout relief.
One consolation Boston College can take from the loss is that it drew more fans than Ken Griffey, Jr. and the Cincinnati Reds did in their matinee against the Red Sox, 5,581 to 4,912.
The Eagles (0-3) get back to games that count Saturday, March 1, when they travel to Homstead, Fla, to take on Purdue at 7 p.m.
