April 24, 2003

Box Score

BOSTON - The baseball team clinched its sixth Beanpot championship Thursday, April 24 with an 8-6 over Harvard at Fenway Park. Senior shortstop Ryan Leahy (Salem, Mass.), who went 4-for-8 with a home run, six runs batted in and four runs scored in the two games, was named most valuable player.

Boston College's six Beanpot crowns are the most of any team in the tournament, which is in its 14th year. This marks the third time the Eagles have defeated the Crimson for the championship. The other two occasions were in 1990 and 1993.

Harvard (13-18) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on right fielder Lance Salsgiver's sacrifice fly to right.

Boston College (20-16) retaliated with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore left fielder Jason Delaney (Hanson, Mass.) smacked an RBI ground-rule double into the Eagles' bullpen to knot the score at 1-1. Senior center fielder Matt Lederhos (Westwood, Mass.) followed with a single through the right side of the infield, plating sophomore first baseman Ryan Morgan (Weymouth, Mass.), and Leahy drove in Delaney with a groundout to second.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the second, Crimson left fielder Chris Mackey blooped an RBI single to center. The throw back into the infield was off line, which allowed a second Harvard run to score on the play, tying the game at 3-3.

The Eagles pushed across two unearned runs in the second, and then played some long ball in the third. With a 1-0 count, Delaney put another ball into BC's bullpen, this time on the fly, for his second home run of the year. One batter later, Leahy deposited a Self offering into the new seats above the Green Monster to widen the Eagles' advantage to 7-3.

Leahy scored his second run of the game in the fifth on an RBI single by senior designated hitter Vinny Scavone (Seffner, Fla.).

With runners on first and second and two outs in the Harvard half of the ninth, third baseman Josh Klimkiewicz hit a sharp grounder to short that Leahy overran, but he made a nice recovery and got the forceout at second to end the game.

Leahy, Delaney, Scavone, junior second baseman Josh DiScipio (Schenectady, N.Y.) and sophomore right fielder Mike Flynn (Trumbull, Conn.) had two hits apiece in the game. Delaney and Leahy each drove in a pair of runs.

Picking up the win for the Eagles was sophomore Jake Marsello (Lynn, Mass.), who went six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits. His record improves to 3-2.

Boston College hosts Rhode Island on Friday, April 25 in a 3:30 p.m. tilt. The game will be played at Shea Field.