April 30, 2005

Final Stats

BOSTON, Mass. - Three errors in the bottom of the seventh inning helped lead to five runs for the Eagles, and Boston College (29-14, 12-5 Big East) defeated Villanova (24-14-2, 7-9-1 BE) 6-5 on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a three-game series. The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, but heavy rain wiped out the second game. The series will conclude on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at Noon.

The Wildcats carried a 5-1 lead into the final inning, in which the Eagles scored five runs on only two hits. A walk, single and hit batsman loaded the bases with none out to start the inning. Senior pitcher Nick Allen (Green Lane, Pa.) then induced a groundball back to the mound, and threw home for a force-out. However, on the ensuing throw to first base to try and complete the double play, the ball went into right field and the first run of the inning scored. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly that pulled Boston College to within 5-3, but at that point there were two outs and a runner at second base.

After the second hit of the inning gave the Eagles runners at first and third, Allen induced a ground ball to third base. However, the throw to first that could have ended the game was off line, and another run scored. Reliever Ted Aust (Phoenix, Ariz.) then came in to try and get the final out, but another ground ball to third base was mishandled, allowing the tying and winning runs to score.

On the offensive end for the Wildcats, freshman Ryan Arcadia (Boyertown, Pa.) was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while junior Jeremy Hunt (Tampa, Fla.) had a double and three runs batted in. Villanova struck early, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning to build a quick lead. Arcadia led off the game with a bunt single, and freshman Derek Shunk (Yardley, Pa.) followed with a single. After senior Angelo Petracca (Sanford, Fla.) walked to load the bases, Hunt cleared them with a double to center field. With still nobody out in the inning, a fly out and ground out moved Hunt the rest of the way around the bases, as freshman James Dolbier (Lebanon, N.J.) hit an RBI groundout.

Boston College got on the board in the third inning on a two-out RBI single, and the Wildcats added their final run in the top of the seventh on a run-scoring single by Petracca. Heavy rain was soaking the playing field by the time the game went to the bottom of the seventh inning, creating nearly unplayable conditions. Allen (5-4) wound up going 6.2 innings and allowing six runs on nine hits. Just two of those runs were earned, and he struck out six while walking just one.

Drew Locke and Jared McGuire had two hits apiece for Boston College, while left-handed starter Mike Wlodarczyk improved to 9-1 with a complete-game victory.

Because the game on Saturday was played to just seven innings, the doubleheader on Sunday afternoon will feature two nine-inning games.