
BC on Wrong End of Slugfest
March 26, 2021 | Baseball
Weather forces Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Despite giving up six runs in the top of the second, BC held an 8-6 lead after the home half. The Eagles plated three runs in the first; beginning with a leadoff-home run from graduate shortstop Brian Dempsey (Potomac, Md.). Down 6-3 in the second, BC rallied for five runs on six hits.
Clemson scored a season-high 16 runs as the Eagles' staff gave up 16 hits, walked eight, hit three batters and threw three wild pitches. BC scored its 12 runs on 15 hits; aided by five Tiger errors.
Junior right-hander Mason Pelio (San Diego, Calif.) went five innings in the start despite allowing six earned runs, all in the second. He locked in after that for three straight shutout innings and totaled five strikeouts in the game. Graduate lefty Joey Walsh (Plymouth, Mass.) was the first reliever out of the BC bullpen. Walsh (1-1), who entered with a four-run lead took the loss with nine runs charged to him in 1.2 innings.
Down 10-6, the Clemson comeback started with back-to-back two-out RBI singles in the sixth. Again, in the seventh, Walsh struggled to get the last out after three free passes loaded the bases and the Tigers scored seven runs with two gone in the frame.
For Clemson, shortstop James Parker led the way with a seven-RBI night. He went 4-for-6 with a double and a triple. Boston College junior center fielder Sal Frelick (Lexington, Mass.) was 4-for-6 with two doubles and represented the tying run at the plate in BC's best shot at a comeback in the eighth with the bases loaded, but lefty Geoffrey Gilbert came on for the strikeout and went the rest of the way for his second save of the season.
DETAILS
Score: Clemson 16, Boston College 12
Records: Clemson 10-9, 4-6 ACC; Boston College 12-8, 3-7 ACC
Location: Harrington Athletics Village
Attendance: 150
BC Highlights
- Dempsey led off the bottom of the first with a no-doubt home run to left.
- Trailing by three, Frelick hit a RBI-double and Morissette added a RBI-single to cut the deficit to one.
- Leary tied the game with a single to first and the go-ahead run came in on an error on the play in the second.
- Pelio needed just six pitches to get through the third and followed up by striking out the side in the fourth.
- BC added to its lead with a two-run single up the middle against a drawn-in infield by Morissette in the fifth.
- Clemson leads the all-time series, 37-10.
- Dempsey hit the first leadoff-home run to start a game by an Eagle since Frelick vs. Fairfield (2/29/20).
- Dempsey's home run was his first of the season and fifth of his career as well as the 200th hit of his career. He became just the 12th player in BC history to record 200 hits.
Due to rain in Sunday's forecast, BC and Clemson will play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ESTRIDGE (1-1)
L: Walsh, Joey (1-2)
S: GILBERT (2)
Batting:
2B: BREWER 1 ; GRICE 1 ; SHARPE 1 ; WAGNER 1
3B: GRICE 1
RBI: PARKER 3 ; GRICE 7 ; HACKENBERG 3 ; HENDERSON 2
SF: HACKENBERG 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MEREDITH 3 ; BREWER 2 ; PARKER 3 ; GRICE 2 ; HACKENBERG 1 ; SHARPE 1 ; TEODOSIO 2 ; WAGNER 1 ; HENDERSON 1
HBP: MEREDITH 1 ; TEODOSIO 1 ; HENDERSON 1

Batting:
2B: Frelick, Sal 1 ; Gold, Luke 1 ; Baldelli, Dante 1
HR: Dempsey, Brian 1
RBI: Dempsey, Brian 1 ; Frelick, Sal 1 ; Morissette, Cody 3 ; Cunningham, Jack 1 ; Cimini, Vince 1 ; Leary, Cameron 2 ; Burns, Peter 1 ; Jimenez, Ramon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dempsey, Brian 2 ; Frelick, Sal 3 ; Gold, Luke 3 ; Cunningham, Jack 2 ; Cimini, Vince 1 ; Baldelli, Dante 1
SB: Frelick, Sal 1