Boston College Athletics
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Clemson
No. 20 Clemson Takes Two From Baseball To Win Series
March 28, 2009 | Baseball
March 28, 2009
Game One Box Score<>Game Two Box Score
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - No. 20 Clemson won both games of a baseball doubleheader on Saturday, 7-6 and 5-3, to take the series from Boston College in its weekend debut at Pellagrini Diamond at Shea Field.
Junior Mike Belfiore continued his hot hitting as he belted two more home runs - both solo shots - in the first game of the day. Junior Tony Sanchez hit a two-run homer in the first game as well. Junior Robbie Anston went 4-for-7 in the two games while sophomore Garret Smith went 3-for-7.
In game one, Clemson used four home runs to score all seven of its runs. Jeff Schaus, Ben Paulsen and Brad Miller each hit two-run home runs while Phil Pohl's solo shot in the seventh inning proved to be the game winner in a 7-6 ballgame.
After Paulsen hit his two-run homer in the top of the first, BC responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the frame. Anston got things going when he drove an outside pitch down the left field line for a double. Sophomore Matt Hamlet moved him up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt but Sanchez blasted a 3-0 offering way over the wall in dead center to tie the game, 2-2.
After the second out was recorded, Belfiore jacked a solo homer on a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left to put the Eagles up, 3-2.
The Eagles added another run in the third when Hamlet took the first pitch he saw the opposite way and over the right fielder's head for a double. After the first out, sophomore Mickey Wiswall battled at the plate and eventually turned his quality at-bat into an RBI single to right-center to push the lead to 4-2.
Paulsen hit his two-run homer in the fourth to tie the game and Schaus added his in the fifth to give Clemson the lead, 6-4. Pohl hit his solo home run in the seventh to increase the lead to three runs.
The Eagles would score a run in both the seventh and eighth innings but couldn't complete the comeback. Smith led off the seventh with a single to center and then stole second to get into scoring position. With two outs, Anston dropped a ball between the center and right fielders for an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-5.
With two outs in the eighth, Belfiore homered to right-center to cut the lead to one but Clemson held on for the one-run win.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the day, Clemson's Graham Stoneburner threw 8.1 innings and allowed three runs on nine hits to lead the Tigers to a 5-3 win.
BC built a 2-0 lead early with a run in the second and third innings. Belfiore led off the second with a walk and after the first out, Smith chopped one through the right side of the infield to put runners on the corners. Sophomore Mike Sudol hit a grounder to Jason Stolz at third who fielded it cleanly, but he couldn't decide where to throw and took the out at first which allowed Belfiore to score for the 1-0 lead.
The Eagles added another run in the third after Anston led off the frame with a walk. Redshirt freshman Andrew Lawrence sacrificed him into scoring position and would end with four sac bunts in the game. With two outs, Wiswall shot one through the left side for a single to score Anston from second.
Clemson broke through in the top of the fourth with a single run. With one out, Paulsen tripled to the gap in right and then Miller singled him in to cut the lead in half, 2-1.
In both the sixth and seventh innings, Clemson hit three singles in the frame to score a run and take a 3-2 lead. The Tigers then added needed insurance in the top of the ninth with two more runs to increase the lead to 5-2. Paulsen drove in both runs with a single.
BC threatened in the bottom of the ninth but was only able to score one run. Freshman Brad Zapenas singled and then Anston walked to put two men aboard with one out. Junior John Spatola singled in a run in his only at-bat of the day but Matt Vaughn came on in relief and retired the final two batters.
Paulsen went 4-for-4 in the second game with three RBI for the Tigers (18-7, 7-5 ACC). Miller had four hits in the two games combined to go along with four RBI.
BC (15-9, 5-5 ACC) will host Northeastern on Tuesday, March 31 at 3 p.m. at Commander Shea Field.
