Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Bryant University
Twelve-Run Eighth Pushes Baseball Past Bryant
April 06, 2011 | Baseball
April 6, 2011
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Boston College baseball erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull away for the win against Bryant, 16-5, Wednesday afternoon at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field.
The Bulldogs took a 5-4 lead with a run in the top of the seventh before BC's offensive explosion. Junior Kyle Prohovich led the inning off with a single through the left side and classmate Marc Perdios walked on four pitches to put the first two men on base. Senior Matt Hamlet laid down a sac bunt and the pitcher threw the ball away which brought Prohovich home to tie the game and put runners on the corners. Freshman Tom Bourdon laid down another bunt and the pitcher went home with the throw but Perdios slid in safely to make it a 6-5 BC lead.
Junior Brad Zapenas hit an infield single to load the bases with still no outs then sophomore Matt McGovern singled down the line in left for two more runs. A fielder's choice put runners on the corners and then sophomore Matt Watson and junior Anthony Melchionda hit RBI singles to make it a 10-5 lead. Prohovich stepped to the plate again and walked to load the bases with one out and Hamlet drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle. Bourdon followed suit with an RBI single of his own before Zapenas launched a three-run homer over the wall in left to cap the scoring.
Zapenas went 2-for-4 in the game with a career-high four RBIs. The home run was the second of his career. Hamlet went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Melchionda was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs while McGovern, Bourdon and junior Andrew Lawrence all drove in a pair.
Prohovich got the win on the mound after throwing 1.1 innings from the bullpen. The only runner he allowed was a hit batsman. Sophomore Hunter Gordon had the same line as Prohovich while Lawrence and senior Garret Smith both threw shutout innings.
Bryant was the first to score in the top of the second thanks to consecutive doubles to the gap in left from Adam Claire and Jamie Skagerland.
BC tied the game in the third with an unearned run. Bourdon drew a one-out walk and moved all the way to third on a passed ball when the catcher threw the ball into the outfield trying to get him at second. Zapenas drove him in with a sac fly to right.
The Bulldogs got that run right back in the fourth to regain the lead. David Soltis dropped a leadoff double down the line in left and then Mike DelPonte found the hole on the right side for an RBI single.
The Eagles took the lead for the first time on the day with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Smith led off with a single and then Melchionda hit one of his own with one out to put runners on the corners. Melchionda took second on a pitch in the dirt and then Lawrence hit the wall down the right field line for a two-run double. Perdios hit a single to put runners on the corners and Hamlet brought in the other run with an RBI single to give BC the 4-2 edge.
Bryant responded with two runs of its own in the fifth to make it a 4-4 game. Joseph Carcone hit a leadoff single and after a fielder's choice, Jordan English walked to put a pair on base. Kevin Brown cleared the bases with a double down the first base line to tie the game for the second time.
The Bulldogs scored again in the seventh to retake the lead. English singled up the middle and Soltis walked with two outs. The ball got past the catcher and to the backstop which allowed English to get to third. Another wild pitch scored English and put the Bulldogs on top again, 5-4.
English led the Bulldogs (10-13) at the plate with a 2-for-3 day and scored twice. Brown drove in a pair of runs.
The Eagles (11-15) are back in action Friday night when they open a three-game ACC series at Duke at 6 p.m. at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
