Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Maryland
Baseball Beats Maryland, 8-1
May 02, 2008 | Baseball
May 2, 2008
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Dan Houston collected a career-high nine strikeouts in seven innings to help Boston College (22-24, 6-19 ACC) defeat Maryland (26-22, 8-17 ACC), 8-1, on Friday afternoon at Commander Shea Field.
Houston (3-3) scattered five hits in seven innings and allowed one earned run against the Terrapins to earn his third win of the season. It was Houston's nine straight appearance going six innings or more against ACC competition.
Chris Kowalski fired the final two innings and allowed just one hit with two punch outs.
The offense of the Eagles pounded out 15 hits against five different Maryland pitchers. Michael Belfiore led the hit brigade with a 4-for-5 day at the plate, and two runs scored. The four hits in a game tied a career-high for Belfiore, which he did last year against the Terrapins in College Park, Md. (4/14/07).
Eric Campbell collected three hits, including a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Matt Hamlet and Marc Perdios each chipped in with two hits apiece, while Garret Smith added a triple and two RBIs.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard early against Maryland starter Scott Swinson. Belfiore started the rally with a one-out single up the middle. Later in the inning, Campbell hit a slicing double to right field to put two runners in scoring position. Swinson uncorked a wild pitch, which allowed Belfiore to score the first run of the game. Matt Hamlet lined a RBI single to right to put BC up 2-0 after one inning of play.
BC tacked on another run in the bottom of the second. Marc Peridos doubled to right field and would score on a double down the left-field line by Barry Butera to up the Eagles lead, 3-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Terrapins pushed across a run against Houston. After the junior right-hander retired the first two batters via strikeout, Joe Palumbo hit a double off the right-field wall. He would score on a bloop single off the bat of Nick Jowers.
The offense of the Eagles exploded for four runs off four hits in the bottom of the fifth. Belfiore started the scoring outburst with a base hit to centerfield. Tony Sanchez followed a double down the left field line. Campbell plated both Belfiore and Sanchez with a two-run single to left field. After Hamlet reached first on an error, to put Eagles on the corners, Smith executed a safety squeeze to plate Campbell. Hamlet would later come around to score on a fielding error to give the Eagles the 7-1 advantage.
BC added a run in the seventh when Smith hit a RBI triple down the right-field line to plate Hamlet and round the scoring for the day, 8-1.
The Eagles are back on the diamond, tomorrow at 1 p.m. for game two of the three-game series against Maryland.
