Four-Run First Leads to Opening Day Win vs. NIU
February 14, 2020 | Baseball
Dempsey homers and drives in four in 7-2 victory.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Boston College baseball team picked up a 7-2 win over Northern Illinois to open the season at Chain of Lakes Park on Friday afternoon. The Eagles are 1-0 for the third year in a row, while the Huskies are 0-1.
Â
Playing for the first time since being sidelined by a leg injury last April, sophomore right fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) led off the bottom of the first for BC with a double. One swing later, the Eagles had their first lead of the season on a two-run home run to left by senior shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.). BC capped off its four-run first with three more consecutive hits, including a RBI-triple by senior left fielder Joe Suozzi (Glen Cove, N.Y.).
Â
Sophomore right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) tossed five innings in the start for the Eagles. He saw traffic on the bases in all five frames; yielding both runs allowed in the fourth inning. Overall Pelio (1-0) allowed five hits, walks two and struck out four.
Â
Michael Lasiewicz (0-1) bounced back from the four-run start, but ultimately took the loss for NIU. He surrendered four runs on six hits and struck out five without issuing a walk.
Â
Boston College got back the two runs Northern Illinois plated in the fourth by scoring two with the bases loaded in the seventh. Dempsey delivered a two-out single to right for his third and fourth RBI of the game.
Â
DETAILS
Score: Boston College 7, Northern Illinois 2
Records: Boston College 1-0, Northern Illinois 0-1
Location: Chain of Lakes Park (Winter Haven, Fla.)
Attendance: 135
Â
BC HIGHLIGHTS
The Eagles and the Huskies meet for two in Winter Haven on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Â
Playing for the first time since being sidelined by a leg injury last April, sophomore right fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) led off the bottom of the first for BC with a double. One swing later, the Eagles had their first lead of the season on a two-run home run to left by senior shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.). BC capped off its four-run first with three more consecutive hits, including a RBI-triple by senior left fielder Joe Suozzi (Glen Cove, N.Y.).
Â
Sophomore right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) tossed five innings in the start for the Eagles. He saw traffic on the bases in all five frames; yielding both runs allowed in the fourth inning. Overall Pelio (1-0) allowed five hits, walks two and struck out four.
Â
Michael Lasiewicz (0-1) bounced back from the four-run start, but ultimately took the loss for NIU. He surrendered four runs on six hits and struck out five without issuing a walk.
Â
Boston College got back the two runs Northern Illinois plated in the fourth by scoring two with the bases loaded in the seventh. Dempsey delivered a two-out single to right for his third and fourth RBI of the game.
Â
DETAILS
Score: Boston College 7, Northern Illinois 2
Records: Boston College 1-0, Northern Illinois 0-1
Location: Chain of Lakes Park (Winter Haven, Fla.)
Attendance: 135
Â
BC HIGHLIGHTS
- The first five Eagle batters reached for the season as BC posted four runs in the bottom of the first innings.
- As a team, Boston College hit for the cycle in the first four batters of the game.
- BC's first two runs came on Dempsey's home run to left.
- Dempsey added two more RBI in the seventh with a two-out single.
- Freshman designated hitter Luke Gold's first career hit was an eighth-inning, RBI-single.
- BC is 6-0 all-time against NIU.
- The Eagles are 24-24 in season openers on record and 5-5 under head coach Mike Gambino.
- Dempsey hit his fourth career home run and recorded his 40th career multi-hit game.
- Dempsey matched a career-high in RBI with four for the fourth time in his career and his 14th career multi- RBI game.
- Suozzi extended his hitting streak to five games, which dates back to last season, with his third career triple.
- Pelio was last credited with a win on March 31, 2019, an 8-0 win at Florida State.
- BC last won on three consecutive opening days between 2008 and 2010.Â
The Eagles and the Huskies meet for two in Winter Haven on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pelio, Mason (1-0)
L: LASIEWICZ, Michael (0-1)
Batting:
2B: LONTEEN, Dylan 1
RBI: LONTEEN, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HUEBBE, Brady 1 ; LONTEEN, Dylan 1
SB: DROBUSHEVICH, Nick 1 ; LONTEEN, Dylan 1 ; RANKIN, Wade 1
CS: DROBUSHEVICH, Nick 1

Batting:
2B: Frelick, Sal 1
3B: Suozzi, Joe 1
HR: Dempsey, Brian 1
RBI: Dempsey, Brian 4 ; Suozzi, Joe 1 ; Cunningham, Jack 1 ; Gold, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frelick, Sal 1 ; Dempsey, Brian 1 ; Morissette, Cody 1 ; Suozzi, Joe 2 ; Stalman, Lucas 1 ; Burns, Peter 1
SB: Suozzi, Joe 1
CS: Dempsey, Brian 1 ; Cunningham, Jack 1
HBP: Frelick, Sal 1 ; Gold, Luke 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
Football: Dylan Lonergan Postgame News Conference (Sept. 7, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Football: KP Price Postgame News Conference (Sept. 7, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Football: Bill O'Brien Postgame News Conference (Sept. 7, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (September 4, 2025)
Thursday, September 04