Eagles Score Six Unanswered, Beat Rams in Midweek Matchup
Behind six extra-base hits and seven scoreless frames from the bullpen, BC handed visiting URI a 6-4 defeat.
In a midweek matchup scheduled just 24 hours in advance, No. 18/22 Boston College baseball erased an early three-run deficit to beat Rhode Island, 6-4, on Wednesday afternoon. The Rams struck first but gave up six unanswered runs as the Eagles won their first game since being ranked.
Here’s what you might of missed in Wednesday’s win, which was the earliest BC has played a home game in program history.
Shaky Start
Lefthander Joe Vetrano made his second “opener” start of the year and labored through an inning of work, needing 28 pitches to get through the first while allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks. Vetrano’s command was spotty—one of the walks was with the bases loaded—but none of the Rams’ hits were necessarily well-struck. Austin White, on his way to a three-hit day, beat out an infield single. Joe Fortin had a bloop single to shallow left field while Xavier Vargas’ two-run single just slipped through the left side of the infield. Greg Cavaliere’s single to load the bases was another infield single, too. It was likely a frustrating start for the freshman, who did manage two strikeouts. Still, he went on to go 1-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate when he shifted to the designated hitter spot.
Methodical Comeback
After digging an early 3-0 hole, BC cut into the deficit with a two-run first thanks to a RBI groundout from Cody Morissette and a run-scoring single through the left side from Jack Cunningham (who finished 1-for-3 and is now on a 9-for-15 run since a hitless opening weekend). The Eagles’ took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Sal Frelick’s speed forced an errant throw on an infield single and two runs came across. They went on to add two more insurance runs to bring the unanswered runs total to six, as Luke Gold had a RBI double in the fifth and Frelick had a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
In the Gaps
The Eagles piled up six doubles, two apiece for Frelick and Dante Baldelli. Frelick finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run in yet another strong showing at the dish. Not only does the junior have hits in all seven games this year, five of those have been multi-hit games and in three he’s registered three hits. Baldelli, meanwhile, is third on the team in OPS (1.049) thanks to the fact that of his nine hits, six have been for extra bases (four doubles and two home runs). This power surge has been unexpected, as he entered with 19 extra base hits in 145 career games, but it has been a boon to the BC lineup as it flips the lineup. Vetrano and Gold were the other two with doubles and the latter has firmly cemented himself as a dangerous middle of the order bat. He went 2-for-4 for the second game in a row and has established himself as a contact-happy hitter with a knack for extra bases. The sophomore has 11 hits in 2021, seven for extra bases (five doubles), and has struck out just four times. That’s an unusual power profile but it’s one that’s serving the Eagles well out of the six hole.
Freshman Relievers
Midweek games are almost always bullpen days and Wednesday was no different. Following Vetrano, head coach Mike Gambino sent out three straight freshman relievers—Joey Ryan, Charlie Coon, and John West—and they combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball while scattering five hits and two walks. At the start of the year, Gambino talked about how many freshman are expected to contribute out of the bullpen. These three now rank 3-4-5 in terms of bullpen innings pitched through seven games.
Pick a Spot
Joey Walsh came in for the ninth inning, protecting a two-run lead, and set down the side in order. It was the graduate student’s second save of the year in his third appearance as he’s established himself as a dependable game-closing arm. His last appearance was a spot start against Duke last Friday, though, so it’s clear his value to this pitching staff is really wherever they need him. The 6-foot-1 lefthander provides a good contrast to righthander Alex Stiegler, who didn’t pitch against Rhode Island but has proved himself as capable of pitching in pretty much any frame.
Play of the Game
Cunningham came up huge in the field, too. With Max Gieg laboring on the mound in the seventh—he loaded the bases on two walks and a single—Alex Ramirez came up with two outs. The potential go-ahead run, Ramirez pulled the first ball he saw to the right side, but the liner was snared by a diving Cunningham to end the threat. It was a big play to keep it a three-run game, and while Gieg would go on to give up a run in the eighth, it saved a tough outing for the sophomore.
Next, the Eagles hit the road for a three-game set with Auburn. BC rarely plays SEC opponents—just 16 games all-time—so it’ll be an interesting series. Keep an eye out for a weekend preview tomorrow.