Big first leads BC past Bryant, 11-5, Wednesday

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College scored five runs in the first inning on its way to a 11-5 victory over the Bryant University baseball team on Wednesday afternoon at Pellagrini Diamond.

The Bulldogs (17-19) have now lost back-to-back games and are now 2-7 all-time against the Eagles (24-21). BC improved to 10-1 against team from New England with the win.

Bryant was able to score a run in the top of the first inning on Wednesday but its lead was short lived. Senior Jordan Mountford (Guelph, Ont.) singled, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on a sac fly from junior Robby Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) but the Eagles responded with five runs on three hits in the bottom of the first.

A single and three-straight walks brought home the tying run and Logan Hoggarth broke the tie with a single to right. Stephen Sauter then doubled home two runs and Donovan Casey grounded out to second to bring home a run and make it 5-1.

The Eagles would extend the lead to five with a run in the second. A walk and a fielding error opened the inning before Michael Strem was able to bloop a single into right field to score a run.

Bryant cut into the deficit with two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Senior John Mullen (Walpole, Mass.) singled to right and sophomore Cole Fabio (Mahwah, N.J.) walked with one out and both advanced on a wild pitch. Junior AJ Zarozny (Shrewsbury, Mass.) then delivered a sharp single to left, scoring both.

In the fifth, Mountford opened the inning with a towering solo home run to right field. It was his sixth home run of the season, tying him for the team lead. Sophomore Matt Albanese (East Haddam, Conn.) restarted the inning with a one-out single and came around to score on a two-out double to left from Mullen.

The game quickly changed, however, in the bottom of the fifth. Casey reached on bunt single with one out and Jake Palomaki walked two outs. After Palomaki stole second, Johnny Adams beat out a chopper to short and both runners came around to score to make it 8-5.

Bryant threatened in the seventh and eighth but left five runners on base. In the seventh, the Bulldogs were able to load the bases with two outs but Casey made a sliding catch in center to end threat. In the eighth, the first two Bulldogs reached but John Nicklas got a strikeout and a ground ball to short to strand runners on second and third.

Boston College put the game away with a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Palomaki brought in a run with a ground out and Sauter scored two with a single in the eighth.

Sophomore Jack Patterson (Suffield, Conn.) started for Bryant but was unable to record an out in the first. Junior James Davitt (Wallingford, Conn.) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out two, while freshman Ross Weiner (Woodbridge, Conn.) allowed two runs on four hits over three innings of relief. Freshmen Justin Snyder (Georgetown, Mass.) and Logan Lessard (Cromwell, Conn.) and junior Michael Marshall (Maynard, Mass.) combined to pitch the remainder of the contest.

Mountford (2-5, 2R), Albanese (2-5), and Mullen (2-4) all finished with multiple hits for the Bulldogs.

In addition to his offensive production, Albanese also picked up two defensive assists on Wednesday. In the second, Albanese caught a fly ball in center and threw a bullet to the plate to nab Adams trying to score from third. In the sixth, Blake Butera tried to score from first on a double to left-center but Albanese fired the ball into the infield and Fabio was able to relay it home in time to record the out.

The Bulldogs return to Northeast Conference play this weekend when they travel to Bridgeport, Conn., to take on Sacred Heart in rematch of the last two NEC tournament championship games.