Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Florida Gulf Coast
Florida Gulf Coast Earns Split With 6-4 Win
March 04, 2009 | Baseball
March 4, 2009
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Patrick Nathanson pitched 7.0 innings and allowed three earned runs to lead Florida Gulf Coast to a 6-4 win against the Boston College baseball team Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium.
Nathanson shut down the BC offense for the first seven innings by allowing just one run and two hits. He walked two and struck out four. The Eagles got the other two runs against him when they put two men on in the eighth inning before he was pulled.
Junior Tony Sanchez picked up his third home run of the season in the fourth inning, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run.
The two teams combined for only three hits in the first three and a half innings, but two of those were solo home runs by each team. FGCU's Robert Greene got the game's first run when he hit the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the second over the 400-foot sign in center. Sanchez evened the score in the top of the fourth when he took a 2-0 fastball over the fence in left-center with two outs.
Florida Gulf Coast was able to load the bases in the bottom of the fourth and put up four runs on the board. Freshman Taylor Lasko got Josh Chester to fly out to shallow left for the first out after FGCU got the first three batters aboard. With a 2-2 count, Lasko went high and tight with a fastball to Zach Maxfield, but it hit him to five FGCU a 2-1 lead.
Joe Guarnaccia was caught looking for the second out of the inning, but Steven Wickens singled up the middle on the first pitch to score another run to make it 3-1. Upchurch grounded softly over the mound and beat out the throw to first to plate the fourth run, and then Roberson forced a run home with a walk to put FGCU up 5-1.
Florida Gulf Coast tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh to extend its lead to 6-1.
The Eagles started to mount a comeback by adding three runs in the top of the eighth to pull within two, but the rally would end there. BC loaded the bases with no outs after sophomore Matt Hamlet singled, senior Harry Darling reached on an error and junior Robbie Anston walked. Freshman Brad Zapenas walked on four pitches and Sanchez grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in two runs and cut the deficit to 6-3.
Anston then scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4.
Nick Ursitti came on for FGCU (5-5) and shut the door on BC's rally in the eighth and pitched the ninth. He worked 2.0 innings and allowed one hit while striking out two.
Wickens finished the day 2-for-4 with an RBI while Greene went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Boston College (8-2) will now head north to Tallahassee to begin its ACC slate at nationally-ranked Florida State on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
