Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Boston Red Sox
Six-Run Fifth Inning Pushes Red Sox Past Eagles
February 25, 2009 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2009
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Boston College baseball team was leading the Boston Red Sox after four and a half innings (of a seven inning game), but the Red Sox scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth and eventually won, 7-1, in front of 5,707 at Boston's spring training facility, City of Palms Park. Junior Mike Belfiore went 2-for-2 in the game and drove in the Eagles' only run.
BC's pitching staff shined in the first half of the game, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. Sophomore Geoff Oxley got the start and walked a batter. Senior Matt O'Brien pitched the second inning and allowed a hit, sophomore Dane Clemens threw a perfect third and freshman Tim O'Keefe issued a walk before inducing George Kottaras into a 4-3 double play in the fourth.
Freshman Rob Moir, senior Mike Augustine and junior Tony Sanchez recorded the other hits for the Eagles.
Prior to the game, the Eagles gathered around the cage during the Red Sox batting practice to watch stars such as David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek at work. BC student-athletes got to interact with, take pictures and get autographs from players of the seven-time World Series champs.
The Red Sox started World Series and ALCS MVP Josh Beckett on the mound and head coach Mik Aoki put Boston College's three seniors at the top of the order to face him. JB MacDonald led off and jumped on the first pitch to ground out to second base. Harry Darling worked a full count and then shattered his bat on a fastball from Beckett and Augustine grounded out to short.
Oxley got the start on the mound and faced a couple of Red Sox regulars. Julio Lugo led off for Boston and forced a walk after a full count. Newcomer Rocco Baldelli stepped up next and Oxley got him swinging with a 1-2 count.
Slugger David Ortiz was in the three-hole and Oxley induced a grounder on the first pitch. Augustine fielded it at first and tagged the bag but was unable to convert the double play. With Lugo in scoring position, J.D. Drew walked on five pitches. Oxley completed the inning when he induced a grounder to second from Chris Carter for the third out.
Darling was the first Eagle to get on base when he forced a walk in the top of the fourth off Kris Johnson and Augustine notched the first hit when he took a 1-2 pitch through the left side to put runners on first and second. Junior John Spatola drove a ball to left that Baldelli caught on the warning track, and then Belfiore snuck one inside the right field line for a single to drive home the first run of the game.
Boston finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning with six runs. Jonathan Van Every and Nick Green both singled to put runners at first and second. Angel Chavez doubled to left center to score both and put the Red Sox ahead for the first time, 2-1. The scoring continued when Yamaico Navarro doubled down the third base line to make it 3-1.
The Red Sox eventually loaded the bases and Chris Carter cleared them when he doubled to right center, giving Boston a 6-1 lead. They then added another run in the sixth on a home run by Navarro.
The Eagles will begin play in the Florida Gulf Coast Classic on Thursday when they face South Florida at noon at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers.
