Eagles Continue Midweek Woes In Loss To URI

The Boston College baseball team (14-23, 5-13 ACC) have quite a different reason to T.G.I.F. than most other weekend-loving college kids: 10 of its 14 wins have occurred on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. This Tuesday, the Eagles failed to overcome their weekday woes, losing to the University of Rhode Island Rams (22-14, 9-3 Atlantic), 16-4, giving up a season-high in runs at Shea Field.

“Big ball games in the ACC, on big stages, they’ve been great,” head coach Mike Gambino said. “It’s the midweek lulls that we’ve got to fix.”

Freshman pitcher Eric Stone got the nod on the mound for the Eagles, and started the game by walking centerfielder Jeff Roy. Leftfielder Chris Famiglietti tried for a sacrifice bunt and managed to reach first on an error by BC’s second baseman John Hennessey, the first of five errors BC would make in the game. First baseman Jeff Cammans singled to load up the bases, and Roy scored on a pop fly by catcher Milan Adams. Famiglietti scored when second baseman Pat Fortunato lined what should have been a single down the first base side. Fortunato continued to second when third baseman Travis Ferrick made an error by overthrowing the ball to first. Pat Quinn, the DH, drove in the last two runs of URI’s breakout first by lining a ball past a diving Tyler Hinchlcliffe at first base.

Stone got a short rest after facing eight Rams, as the only run in BC’s first at-bat came from a solo homer by centerfielder Tom Bourdon, who batted third.

The Rams’ starting pitcher, Liam O’Sullivan, threw 6.2 strong innings, allowing all four of BC’s runs but holding the Eagles to just nine hits.

After shortstop Tim Caputo popped out to left-centerfield to start the second for the Rams, Roy singled and advanced to second on another error by Ferrick. Roy stole third and scored again on Famiglietti’s double.

Marc Perdios, who saw more than a few balls hit hard to his post in left field, led off with a single for the Eagles but was quickly thrown out on a fielder’s choice that left Hinchliffe stranded at first. Catcher Matt Pare popped out to left, and Hennessey struck out looking to end another quick BC half.

When Matt Alvarez came in to pitch for Stone in the third, Rams right fielder Kevin Stenhouse welcomed him to the game with a homerun to center field, making the score 6-1.

Ferrick answered in the bottom of the inning with a double to deep left and scored on shortstop Blake Butera’s sacrifice fly. Bourdon had a single and stole second on a high throw, but was unable to score.

In the fourth, Famiglietti singled and stole second. Cammans reached on Hennesey’s second error, and Famiglietti scored on a pop-out by Adams.

The Eagles managed to get past first base in the bottom of the inning, when Pare and Hennessey hit consecutive singles. Yet, with runners on the corners, Ferrick flied out to end the inning.

Alvarez hit Quinn with a pitch and walked Caputo in the fifth, and Roy doubled in both teammates on a hit-and-run play to bring the score to 8-2.

Geoffrey Murphy relieved Alvarez in the sixth, but sparked the Rams’ offense by giving up a solo home run to Adams and then hitting Stenhouse with a pitch immediately after. Fortunato crushed a double to center, scoring Stenhouse, and was doubled in by Quinn. Haverstick singled. Caputo reached and Quinn scored on Hennessey’s third error. Roy flied out, but the Rams’ offense and luck were still going strong. Caputo stole second and continued on to third when Pare overthrew the ball to second trying to get him out, and Haverstick scored. Murphy finally ended the inning by getting Famiglietti to strike out looking.

Murphy left the game with the score at 13-2. Of the five runs allowed in his one inning of work, three were earned. Of the eight that scored off of Stone and Alvarez, a combined three were earned.

“If we’re catching the baseball early, that changes the whole game,” Gambino said. “We didn’t throw the ball great today, but I have way more of a problem with my defense. We have to play better defensively.”