Boston College Athletics
Boston College
North Carolina State
Baseball Beats NC State In Wild 10-8 Contest
April 24, 2010 | Baseball
April 24, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Boston College baseball team led for the entire game and relinquished that lead when it gave up a combined five runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Eagles scored three times in the top of the ninth to defeat NC State, 10-8, Saturday afternoon at Doak Field at Dail Park.
BC (22-17, 11-9 ACC) took a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but NC State (26-15, 9-11) scored four times in the frame to tie it, then scored again in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead - its first lead of the game.
Harold Riggins and Andrew Ciencin made it a two-run game quickly when they hit back-to-back solo home runs to start the seventh. Chris Schaeffer then hit his second double of the game and moved to third on a wild pitch. Tarran Senay walked to put runners on the corners and then Danny Canela brought the Wolfpack within a run with a sac fly to left. Dallas Poulk then drove a liner to right that Spatola lost in the lights which scored Senay to tie the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, Drew Poulk was hit by the first pitch of the inning and then Riggins walked on four pitches to put the first two batters on base. With one out, Schaeffer hit an RBI single to center to give NC State its first lead of the day, 8-7.
Boston College fought right back with three runs in the top of the ninth to take the win back. Freshman Matt Watson led off with a walk and after freshman Matt McGovern came on to pinch run, sophomore Anthony Melchionda ripped a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Senior Mike Sudol went the opposite way with an 0-1 pitch for an RBI double over the left fielder's head to tie the game. Sophomore Andrew Lawrence was intentionally walked to load the bases, but a shallow fly to right was inning's first out.
The top of the order came up and senior Robbie Anston delivered, singling to center on a 1-2 count to drive in two runs to give BC the 10-8 win.
Anston went 3-for-6 in the game with a solo homer, two runs and four RBI. Junior Mickey Wiswall also went 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run. Melchionda had three hits with two of them being bunt singles.
Sophomore Mike Dennhardt had a good start on the mound, throwing 5.1 innings and scattering 10 hits while allowing three runs. Sophomore Matt Brazis earned the win, tossing the final 2.2 innings.
The Eagles scored four times in the top of the second in the strangest inning of the season that saw three hits, two walks, two wild pitches and four errors - including an obstruction call - all with two outs. Junior Garret Smith got it started when he shot an 0-2 pitch into the gap in right for a double, then Anston chopped a grounder up the middle. The shortstop grabbed it on the other side of second and threw to first but Anston beat it out. Smith never slowed down as he rounded third, though, and was safe on a bang-bang play at the plate.
Anston stole second and reached third when the throw went into the outfield and then junior Matt Hamlet walked to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch scored Anston and moved Hamlet up to second, then Wiswall chopped a single up the middle that the shortstop nabbed and threw past the first baseman. Hamlet was able to score and Wiswall moved into scoring position on the error. Wiswall moved 90 more feet on another wild pitch.
Senior John Spatola walked to put runners on the corners and then he took off for second and stopped short of the bag to induce a rundown. The shortstop received the throw from the catcher then tried to pick Wiswall off going back to third but the throw was wild, allowing Wiswall to score the inning's fourth run.
NC State got two of the runs back in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half. John Gianis and Dallas Poulk both provided RBI singles in the inning, but Dennhardt escaped further damage when he induced a 5-3 double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Schaeffer then pulled the Wolfpack within a run in the third when he pulled a 2-1 offering over the wall in right with two outs.
The Eagles pushed the lead back to two with a run in the top of the fifth. Spatola and Watson started the inning with consecutive walks and then Melchionda bunted himself on to load the bases with no outs. BC was only able to get one run when sophomore Brad Zapenas hit a sac fly to the gap in right.
Anston led off the sixth with a solo home run down the line in right on a 1-1 pitch to extend BC's lead to 6-3.
BC scored another run in the seventh to build its lead to four runs before giving the lead up. Watson one-hopped the wall in right for a leadoff double and then Melchionda notched his second bunt single of the game to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Smith hit a chopper up the middle that he was able to beat out for an RBI single.
Schaeffer continued his hot hitting in the series as he went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, two RBI and three runs. Riggins went 3-for-4 with the solo home run while Dallas Poulk and Senay both recorded two hits.
The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
