March 3, 2009

Box Score
Box Score In PDF Format

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Sophomore Garret Smith delivered a two-out, two-run double in the top of the eighth to give the Boston College baseball team a 4-3 lead and the Eagles held on for a 7-6 win at Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium.

Smith gave BC its first lead since the first inning with his double in the top of the eighth. The Eagles added three more runs in the ninth which they would need to hold on for the win.

The Eagles' middle relief came up huge in the game. Junior Chris Kowalski was the first out of the pen when he came in with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the third and got out of the jam. He then went on to finish perfect on the evening, recording nine consecutive outs in his three innings of work.

Senior Matt O'Brien retired the first five hitters he faced in his two innings and then sophomores Dave Laufer and Nate Bayuk and freshman Matt Brazis combined for a perfect eighth inning.

Junior Robbie Anston kept his hot bat going with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with three doubles and a pair of runs. Sophomore Mickey Wiswall and Smith both had two RBI. Smith went 2-for-4 in the game as did junior Tony Sanchez who also added an RBI and a run. Junior Barry Butera also had two hits and a run.

In the bottom of the inning, sophomore Kevin Moran got the leadoff batter swinging but then gave up a single to Josh Upchurch. Tim Roberson grounded out to short for the second out of the inning, but Upchurch was running with the pitch to reach second. Mikel Alvarez cashed in the run when he singled through the right side of the infield to tie the game.

Brad Roberts kept the inning going when he drew a walk to put runners on first and second, then Josh Chester singled to center to give FGCU the lead, 2-1.

Florida Gulf Coast tacked on another run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-1 lead. FGCU started the frame with consecutive singles from Eric Krznaric and Joe Guarnaccia and then Upchurch sacrificed them into scoring position. Stephen Wickens got FGCU's third run home when he grounded out to Wiswall at third.

Alvarez and Roberts led off the bottom of the third with consecutive walks for FGCU to set up another scoring threat. Kowalski came in from the bullpen and got Chester swinging for the first out of the inning and then on the second pitch to Greene, induced a 1-6-3 double play to get out of the jam.

The Eagles got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth to pull within one. Sanchez started the frame when he took an outside pitch and drove it in front of the right fielder for a single then Wiswall roped one at the shortstop who mishandled it. Sanchez hustled to third on the play to set up runners on the corners with nobody out. Junior Mike Belfiore grounded into a 6-4-3 double play but Sanchez scored to cut the lead to 3-2.

Boston College then got two runners on with two outs in the top of the eighth via a walk and a single by Butera. Smith came up to the plate and took the first pitch he saw to the gap in right-center to score both men to give the Eagles its first lead since the first inning, 4-3.

BC added much-needed insurance in the top of the ninth with three runs to extend the lead to 7-3. Sophomore Matt Hamlet started the frame with a walk and then Anston cracked another double to put a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. Freshman Brad Zapenas then drew a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Wiswall drove a pitch past the diving first baseman for a double and two runs to give BC a 6-3 lead.

Zapenas then scored what would prove to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch that reached the backstop.

Florida Gulf Coast put a scare into the Eagles during the final frame but BC held on for the win. After Belfiore retired the first batter, FGCU loaded the bases on a soft single over second base, a walk and an infield hit. A pair of singles drove in three runs, but Belfiore put an end to the rally when he got Alvarez to ground out to short.

Steven Wickens went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run for FGCU (4-5) while Roberson also drove in a pair. Guarnaccia went 2-for-4.

Boston College (8-1) will finish up its stint in Fort Myers with another 6 p.m. start at Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday before heading north to Tallahassee to begin its ACC slate at nationally-ranked Florida State on Friday night.