Eagles drop series with 9-2 loss to Virginia
Mason Pelio struggled with control and the Cavaliers claimed the weekend with another comfortable win.
After dropping Friday’s series opener against Virginia, Boston College turned to Mason Pelio in what would most likely be his last start in an Eagles’ uniform. The junior draft prospect had been throwing the ball well as of late, registering three straight quality starts in conference play.
Much like Emmet Sheehan on Friday, though, Pelio did not have his best stuff on Saturday and was unable to make it out of the fourth inning. His seven-walk, six-run performance led to an early five-run deficit that the Eagles were unable to close, as BC dropped the game 9-2.
The Eagles (20-28, 9-23 ACC) dropped their third straight contest and need a win tomorrow in the series finale to end this disappointing season on a high note. Virginia (27-21, 18-17 ACC) has been red hot lately, and secured yet another ACC series win. The Cavaliers have worked themself into the postseason over the past few weeks, and the Eagles were yet again unable to slow them down.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Patient Virginia Lineup: There's a saying in baseball: “A leadoff walk always comes back to bite you.” This was the story of the afternoon for the Eagles as Virginia was able to draw four leadoff walks in the first four innings of the game. The Cavaliers scored a total of six runs in these innings, as Pelio struggled to work himself out of the jams.
It was clear after drawing an impressive four walks in the first inning that the Virginia offense was going to be patient and make BC pitching throw strikes, something that has not been easy for the staff in 2021. After sending seven batters to the plate in the first and not recording a hit, the breakthrough came for Virginia in the second as second baseman Max Cotier ripped a two-run double to give the Cavs the lead for good. In total, the Cavaliers reached base 19 times, courtesy of nine hits, eight walks, and two hit batsmen.
Homecoming: Virginia’s starter was Mike Vasil, a Massachusetts native and graduate of Boston College High School. The right-hander made his first start against his hometown team count as he navigated through six innings to register a quality start. The right-hander did not have his top stuff but was able to control the Eagles bats by pitching to contact. Vasil surrendered eight hits and was only able to strike out one batter—but of the eight hits none of them went for extra bases and only one of them was with runners in scoring position. By inducing lots of weak contact, Vasil was able to recover from a shaky first inning and give the Hoos the start they needed to limit their bullpen usage as they head into the postseason.
Senior Day: BC started three of its seniors on today’s senior day, and all three of them recorded a hit. Jack Cunningham, Brian Dempsey, and Dante Baldelli have been staples in the BC lineup for years and are playing their last ever series in an Eagles’ uniform. Dempsey had the best day of the bunch going 2-for-4 with two singles, his 17th multi-hit game of the season. The three seniors each recording hits was the offensive highlight of the day, as the Eagles were unable to get the big hit needed to break open a big inning off of the stout UVA pitching staff.
Play of the Game:
Baldelli has been roaming the outfield for the Eagles for five years now, so it’s only fitting that he made the play of the day on senior night. The super-senior tracked down a flared pop-up deep into foul territory and eventually dove to snatch the ball to record the first out in the top of the eighth. This play was a perfect example of the type of player that Baldelli is, as he was hustling all the way even when the team was down seven runs.
Featured Images Courtesy of Boston College Athletics