Baseball Falls in 15 Innings to NC State

Saturday, March 21

Northborough, Mass.

1:30 PM

Boston College

6-13, 1-7

NC State

12-9, 3-5

NC State

Boston College

Junior RHP John Nicklas pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

March 21, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

March 21, 2015

Box Score | Postgame Interview

GAME INFORMATION
Score: NC State 9, Boston College 4 (15 innings)
Records: Boston College (6-13, 1-7), NC State (12-9, 3-5)
Series Record: The series is tied, 1-1
Location: New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass.
Weather: 39 degrees, sunny, 4 mph winds
Attendance: 267
Time of Game: 5:06

BC Starting Lineup:
1. Jake Palomaki - 3B
2. Blake Butera - 2B
3. Michael Strem - CF
4. Chris Shaw - RF
5. Joe Cronin - 1B
6. Donovan Casey - LF
7. Logan Hoggarth - DH
8. Nick Sciortino - C
9. Johnny Adams - SS
Starting Pitcher: LHP Jesse Adams

NC State Starting Lineup:
1. Jake Fincher - RF
2. Brock Deatherage - LF
3. Logan Ratledge - 2B
4. Preston Palmeiro - 1B
5. Andrew Knizner - C
6. Jake Armstrong - DH
7. Joel McKeithan - SS
8. Joe Dunand - 3B
9. Josh McLain - CF
Starting Pitcher: LHP Brian Brown

BC HIGHLIGHTS
· Sophomore RHP Mike King struck out a career-high six in a five-inning, scoreless relief effort, The outing matched a career high. He allowed just three hits and walked only one.
·Junior RHP John Nicklas set a career high with four strikeouts in his 2.2 innings of relief work, allowing just one hit and walking three. The righty has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances - 9.2 innings.
·Junior Chris Shaw turned in a 2-for-4 performance with a run, double and RBI. He was lifted for a pinch runner in the ninth.
· Freshman Mitch Bigras was 2-for-3 with a run and a double as a defensive replacement in the ninth.

KEY PLAYS
· After both teams scored three runs through three, neither could plate a run until the 15^th inning, when the Pack scored six off a combination of senior LHP Nick Poore, freshman RHP Trevor Massey and redshirt sophomore RHP Luke Fernandes. The Eagles got one back in the bottom of the inning but could not muster any more.
·The Eagles left the bases loaded four times in the game - in the fifth, eighth, ninth and 10^th - and totaled 18 men left on base for the entire 15-inning contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED
·The Wolfpack scored in the top of the first but the Eagles answered with two in the bottom of the inning to take a one-run lead. Starting left-hander Jesse Adams struck out the first two batters he faced, but gave up a double and single to plate an NC State run. He ended the inning with an infield popup.
·The Eagles put the first two on as freshman Jake Palomaki drew a lead-off walk and senior Blake Butera singled on a hard liner past the third baseman. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, but Palomaki was gunned down at the plate after catcher Andrew Knizner threw down to first on a dropped third strike and first baseman Preseton Palmeiro fired back to get Palomaki trying to come home. Shaw came through with a two-out double to right center to score Butera and tie the game. With Shaw on third after a wild pitch, freshman Donovan Casey singled up the middle to make it 2-1 Eagles.
·NC State retook the lead in the third, loading the bases with two outs on a double and two walks. Knizner singled up the middle on a full count to plate two.
· The Eagles retied the game in the bottom of the inning to make it three-all. With one down, sophomore Michael Strem hit a blooper to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. Junior Joe Cronin singled to right to plate Strem. He was picked off first to end the inning.
· Both teams' pitchers got the job done, holding the game in a 3-3 tie until the 15^th. Poore, who had thrown 2.1 scoreless coming into the inning, gave up a double to Logan Ratledge and single to Preston Palmeiro to start the inning. Massey replaced Poore and got a grounder for the first out before intentionally walking Shane Shepard to load the bases as the Eagles tried to set up the double play. Ryne Willard singled to left center to score Ratledge and Palmeiro, giving the Pack a 6-4 lead. Joe Dunand singled to bring in another run before Fernandes replaced Massey and got the second out swinging. Jake Fincher hit a pop up in the infield, but the ball was mishandled, allowing a run to come in and the inning to go on. Brock Deatherage drew a walk and, with the bases loaded, Ratledge doubled to right. Two runs came in to make it 9-4 and, while Deatherage crossed the plate, he did not touch third. The Eagles appealed, allowing the inning to end.
· BC got one back in the bottom of the frame but that was all they could muster. With one down, Bigras singled through the right side and moved up on a wild pitch. He scored when Palomaki hit a fly ball to right that Deatherage dropped. With Palomaki on third, reliever Joe O'Donnell got Butera looking and after Strem drew a walk, senior Travis Ferrick grounded out to end the game.

OF RECORD
Winning Pitcher: O'Donnell (2-0): 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Losing Pitcher: Poore (0-2): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

TEAM LEADERS
Boston College
Hits: 2, Butera (2-for-7), Shaw (2-for-4, 2B), Bigras (2-for-3, 2B)
Runs: 1, Butera, Strem, Shaw, Bigras
RBIs: 1, Shaw, Cronin, Casey
Strikeouts: 6, King

NC State
Hits: 4, Palmeiro (4-for-6)
Runs: 3, Ratledge
RBIs: 2, Ratledge, Knizner, Willard
Stolen Bases: 1, Armstrong
Strikeouts: 6, O'Donnell

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
·The 15-inning contest marked the longest game for BC since BC fell, 3-2, to Texas in the longest game in NCAA history - 25 innings - on May 30, 2009 in the Regional in Austin.
·The Eagles are 0-2 in extra-inning games in 2015. They dropped a 5-4 decision to No. 13 Louisville in 10 on March 14.
·Starter Adams threw four innings, allowed four hits, three runs - all earned - two walks and struck out four.
·Butera and Sciortino recorded seven at bats in the game. The last time BC players recorded seven at bats when in a 10-9, 13-inning loss at Clemson on May 17, 2014 when Strem and John Hennessy did so.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Wolfpack finish the series on Sunday at noon at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Mass.