Boston College Baseball Walks Off Against North Carolina
By Kyle Egan
It was an ending no one expected.
At a windy and brisk Shea Field, the Boston College Eagles Baseball team took on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the middle game of the first home ACC series in Chestnut Hill.
Andrew Chin, the ace of the Eagles staff, took the ball and was solid through the first three innings.
The scoring began in the fourth inning when Tom Zengel sent a shot to right field that was only prevented from going over the fence when it bounced off of Chris Shaw’s glove. After a throwing error advanced Zengel to third, Landon Lannister scored the runner on a base hit. Three more runs were able to score before Michael Russell was thrown out at home.
Benton Moss started the game for the Tar Heels and was fantastic through the first three frames not allowing anyone on base, save for Nick Sciortino who got on with an error by third baseman Landon Lannister.
The Eagles rebounded from the first half of the fourth by getting five hits from the first five batters. The Eagles pulled in pushing the score to 4-3.
The fifth inning was scoreless, but the top of the sixth was brutal for the Eagles. Andrew Chin and Luke Fernandes combined for five walks and two hits, allowing the Tar Heels to add four runs to their lead making it 8-3. If fans annoyed by the cold hadn’t already left, they were now streaming towards the parking lot.
The Tar Heels tried to play it safe putting out some of their best relievers in Reilly Hovis and Zach Rice, but Boston College scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, with a combination of hits, walks and wild pitches.
North Carolina added an extra run in the eighth but game was tied in the bottom of the ninth.
Nick Sciortino led off the bottom of the ninth against UNC’s Henry Sisson with a walk. Sciortino was quickly replaced at first base by pinch runner Nick Colluci. The next two Eagle batters struck out swinging and it was looking like the already long game would be going to extra innings.
Blake Butera walked up to the plate and Collucci stole second base without a throw early in the at bat.
With an 0-2 count against him, Blake Butera took a fastball from Henry Sisson to right center. Colluci rounded third amid the Boston College dugout spilling onto the field and slid into the plate as throw from center was late. The final score was 10-9, Boston College.
Boston College came all the way back and gained only their second win in the Atlantic Coast Conference (2-12) and tenth on the season(10-19). North Carolina falls to17-13(6-8 ACC).
Reliever Mike King picked up win for Boston College, while Henry Sisson took the loss.
The Eagles will play in the rubber game against North Carolina Sunday at 1:00pm at Shea Field. If you can’t make the game, Chris Caccamo, Sean Cremins and Sean Hooley will have the call on WZBC-AM.