Emmet Sheehan outdueled by Pitt's Mitch Myers

The Eagles dropped the first game of the weekend, 4-1, despite 15 Ks from Sheehan.

A matchup of two of the ACC’s premier Friday night starters provided predictable results on Friday night at Charles L. Cost Field.

Boston College’s Emmet Sheehan and Pittsburgh’s Mitch Myers showcased why they’ve established themselves as their teams top arms but it was the Panthers who eventually got to Sheehan, scoring three runs off of him in his final two innings of work en route to a 4-1 victory.

Sheehan struck out a career-high 15, but gave up three RBI doubles to Nico Popa, Ron Washington Jr., and Sky Duff—two in the sixth, and one in the seventh. The Eagles’ (19-24, 8-20 Atlantic Coast) junior threw 121 pitches and logged his third consecutive quality start, but he was outdueled by Myers. Pittsburgh’s (21-12, 15-10) ace pitched into the eighth and allowed a lone run—on a passed ball—and scattered four hits.

BC reliever Joe Vetrano gave up a solo home run to David Yanni in the eighth, but that proved to be unnecessary insurance. Panthers’ closer Jordan McCrum toed a fine line as he loaded the bases in both the eighth and the ninth, but got a strikeout to end the first threat and a game-ending double play for his fifth save.

It was the third time in the last four games that the Eagles’ lineup had been held to two or fewer runs. BC went 0-for-3 with the bases loaded and just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The loss—paired with a Duke win over Louisville—dropped the Eagles to 3 1/2 games back of a playoff spot with five conference games to go. The Panthers, meanwhile, clinched their postseason spot with the win.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Head-to-head: Pitt head coach Mike Bell told reporters after the game that two Friday night starters going up against each other means for the pitchers that it’s not just playing baseball, it’s also matching what the other guy is doing.

“[Sheehan’s] a very special talent,” Bell said. “He’s gotten better every game. … He’s a tough one to match up with. Mitch has done a great job this year of, whether it’s Abbot from Virginia or [Messick] from [FSU], knowing that when he gets the ball on Friday night, he’s not just playing the game of baseball, he’s playing the scoreboard too. He’s gotta match what they do.”

That was evident when you consider the first five innings. Both starters set down the side in the first, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Sheehan took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning and struck out at least two batters in each of those frames. Myers, meanwhile, only had one sloppy inning but was able to escape it when his command slipped. The two were both on their game and ultimately, it was Myers who was able to keep his team within one until they were able to break through against Sheehan.

Third time through the lineup: Here’s a look at how the Panthers’ lineup fared against Sheehan:

First AB: 0-for-8, 7 Ks, 1 BB
Second AB: 2-for-9, 4 Ks
Third AB: 3-for-9, 2 2Bs, 3 Rs, 2 Ks
Fourth AB: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 Ks

The third and fourth time that the top of Pitt’s lineup saw Sheehan went much different. The Panthers had seen him for enough time that they were able to get some hard contact to the tune of run-scoring doubles from the No. 2, No. 4, and No. 1 hitters in the lineup. That’s a trend that is true all the way up to the major leagues, but with the way the Eagles’ bullpen has struggled in close games at times, it likely made sense to let Sheehan try and battle through it.

Missed chances: With Sheehan on the mound, this was a very winnable game for the Eagles. The lineup failed to make the most of limited chances against Myers and couldn’t build a comfortable lead for their right-hander to work with. BC didn’t have a real scoring chance until the fifth inning, and the fact that the Eagles’ only scored one run—on a passed ball—and couldn’t make the most of a bases-loaded situation after three straight walks was disappointing.

Their next real chance came in the eighth as they trailed 3-1. A one-out single from Brian Dempsey chased Myers and brought in McCrum, who quickly established himself as someone who had good stuff but was lacking command. He loaded the bases with two outs on a hit batsmen and a walk, but Vince Cimini struck out looking.

BC ran it back against McCrum in the ninth as the bottom of the order in Peter Burns and Barry Walsh drew walks to flip the order. Sal Frelick singled to load the bases and Dempsey stepped up with a chance to cut into the now three-run deficit. Instead, he grounded into his team-leading seventh double play to end the game.

Images Courtesy of Pitt & BC Athletics