Eagles' bullpen falters late in 4-3 loss to No. 17 Pittsburgh
BC fell in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader after the Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the eighth.
The first game of the Saturday double-header between Boston College and Pittsburgh featured excellent starting pitching, clutch hits, and more heartbreak for the Eagles. The old Big East rivals played clean baseball all afternoon, but it was the Panthers who would eventually come out on top by a score of 4-3.
The BC (20-25, 9-21 Atlantic Coast) offense was led by Sal Frelick and Cody Morissette, as they each recorded multi-hit days at the top of the Eagles lineup. Outside of those two, the Eagles struggled with runners on, failing to get the big hits needed to break the game open. The day after not taking advantage of a 15-strikeout performance by Emmet Sheehan, BC wasted Mason Pelio’s effective outing as it couldn’t provide enough breathing room on the scoreboard.
The Pitt (22-13, 16-11) lineup was paced by leadoff hitter and third baseman Sky Duff who slashed three hits on the day, including the eventual game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning. Defensively, the Panthers turned some big double plays and leaned on Matt Gilbertson for eight innings to keep the Eagles relatively quiet.
It was another frustrating loss for BC, who once again proved that it is better than its record might suggest by going toe-to-toe with yet another top-25 opponent.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pelio & Gilbertson Battle: After Friday’s dazzling display of starting pitching, the Saturday starters decided to get in on the action. Pelio and Gilbertson put on another show in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. The two starters were both impressive, using two different styles of pitching to frustrate hitters all game long.
For Pelio, Saturday’s start marked his third straight quality start since returning to the team. Pelio’s top-flight arsenal was on full display as he was able to work six innings—scattering six hits and two runs—while fanning six Panthers. The stretch of quality starts for the junior has been sparked by improved command and the ability to avoid the “blow up innings” that plagued him earlier in the year. Pelio looked comfortable when he ran into trouble, only walking three Pitt batters and stranding 10 runners on base. In four of his six innings Pelio was able to end the inning with two runners on base, never allowing for the explosive Pitt lineup to break open a big inning.
Gilbertson went about his business a little differently than Pelio, but was still incredibly effective. The Pitt starter was able to work eight solid innings, giving up eight hits and three runs. Gilbertson forced the Eagles into a lot of weak contact, leading to 13 groundouts by BC hitters. His command was impressive to watch, posting a 68.5 strike percentage. This helped to keep his pitch count down, allowing Pitt head coach Mike Bell to leave the right-hander in the game for as long as he did.
BC Takes the Lead in the Fourth: After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, the BC offense immediately responded. Until the fourth inning, Gilbertson had faced the minimum, cruising through the Eagles lineup.
In his second at-bat, however, Sal Frelick started the fourth off with a bang by belting a no-doubt home run over the right-center wall. The All-American has been pitched around by teams for weeks, receiving only one or two quality pitches to hit a game. This time around, though, Frelick got a mistake fastball and made the Panthers pay. With the game now tied, Gilbertson walked Brian Dempsey and surrendered a single to Cody Morrissette. Luke Gold stepped up to the plate with runners on the corners and no outs. Gold hit a chopper to shortstop, allowing for Dempsey to score while Pitt attempted to turn a double play. The Panthers were able to stop the scoring there, but this was easily BC’s most productive inning of the game, and allowed for Pelio to pitch with the added confidence that a lead provides.
Pitt Mounts Eighth Inning Comeback: The Eagles entered the eighth inning with a one-run lead and one of their most trusted arms, Alex Stiegler, on the mound. After being relatively quiet for seven innings, the Panthers offense woke up and took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth.
Pitt first baseman Bryce Hulett led off the inning with a double down the left-field line, immediately putting the pressure on Stiegler. After a groundout and a hit batsmen, the Panthers had runners on the corners with only one out. Pitt then broke out the small ball as Jordan Anderson laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt, forcing Stiegler to tag him out and allowing for a run to score.
With the score tied and a runner on second, the Panthers’ hottest hitter came to the plate with two outs. Duff squared up a double to left-field, his third hit of the game, and gave the lead to Pitt. This inning has become all too common to BC fans, as the bullpen has struggled to close out these tight games all year.
Featured Images Courtesy of Pitt/BC Athletics