Entering this weekend's three-game series with Duke, the Boston College baseball team sat with an ugly 2-10 record in the conference, a roughed-up pitching staff, and a slim chance of making the eight-team field for the ACC tournament in May. It took just three games to turn the team's outlook on the season completely around. BC confidently swept the Duke Blue Devils in this weekend's series, and in the process reemerged as contenders for a berth in the conference tournament. Dominant pitching from Terry Doyle (W, 3-3) and Dan Houston (W, 2-1) helped seal up a pair of victories in Saturday's doubleheader, and 11 runs in an impressive hitting performance lifted the Eagles to a win in Sunday's series finale.
BC's James McDonald (W, 3-4) picked up the victory on Sunday, throwing five innings of four-hit ball and surrendering just one unearned run.
The Eagles' bats were quiet until the bottom of the 3rd, when Barry Butera lined a one-out double to center field. When Michael Belfiore's hard grounder to third ricocheted off the foot of Duke third baseman Ryan McCurdy and into left field, Butera scored from second to level the score. Tony Sanchez then singled, his first of three hits on the day, pushing Belfiore over to third.
Back-to-back Eric Campbell and Mickey Wiswall doubles to right field scored three more runs, and the Eagles quickly opened up a 4-1 lead. Wiswall would score moments later on a Garret Smith sacrifice fly to left field to make it 5-1.
BC added three more runs in the 5th, when Sam Shaughnessy's two-RBI triple scored Campbell and Wiswall. John Spatola then followed with a triple of his own, scoring Shaughnessy and knocking Duke's Grant Monroe out of the game. Although Duke reliever Kyle Butler sat down BC's Marc Perdios to end the inning, the damage was done, and the Eagles led 8-1.
Things got interesting again in the top of the 8th, when hard-throwing BC reliever Kurt Hayer struggled with his control and quickly issued a walk to leadoff batter Jake Lemmerman.
2008 Woodie Awards
Walter Orme
posted 4/09/08 @ 2:22 PM EST
Very knowledgeable baseball reporting. I would imagine that the author is doing exceptionally well in his fantasy league.