Boston College Baseball Beats NC State, Wins First ACC Series

Boston College Eagles baseball, for the first time in 2014, has won an ACC series.

Birdball accomplished that by defeating the NC State Wolfpack on Easter Sunday, 9-7, in an 11-inning battle. With the win, the Eagles improve to 14-25 (5-16) on the season.

Boston College was actually the team that struck first on Sunday, pushing four runs across the plate in the top of the second. The team was a home run short of hitting for the cycle in that inning, but got two singles, a double, and a triple.

NC State took back two of those runs in the bottom of the second against Eagles starter Jeff Burke, who only went three and two-thirds deep into the contest. In the third, a Burke wild pitch brought in the third Wolfpack run. Eventually, in the fourth, NC State would tie the game thanks to a manufactured run, which again involved a Boston College wild pitch — Burke would throw three over the course of his outing, also hitting a batter.

At 4-4, Boston College would get the lead back the next half inning, being the top of the fifth on a two-run double by Michael Strem. The Eagles would add an insurance run in the top of the eighth on a Stephen Sauter RBI single, and as it turns out, they needed it: NC State would plate three in the bottom of the ninth off of the bullpen to tie the game, 7-7.

Neither team would score again until the eleventh, when Birdball took the lead for good. Joe Cronin’s RBI double to center field ended up being the game-winner, while a Chris Shaw single followed to give them a 9-7 cushion. Steve Green held it for his first save of the season, giving teammate Tyler Hinchliffe the win. Sophomore lefty Brad Stone took the loss for NC State.

The Eagles will return to action on Wednesday night in Norwich, Connecticut as they face the St. John’s Red Storm.