Eagles Win Slugfest at Harvard

Photo is courtesy of Boston College

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Boston College 11, Harvard (8 innings)
Records: Boston College (17-11) at Harvard (9-18)
Location: O'Donnell Field in Cambridge, Mass.

BC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Michael Strem tied a career high with four hits and set a new career high with six RBIs. He notched hits in his first four at bats and recorded his 40^th career double.
• Freshman right-hander Jack Nelson picked up his first career win, throwing four innings of relief, allowing four hits, and one run while striking out a career-high four and not allowing a walk.
• Sophomore righty Brian Rapp earned his first collegiate save, getting the final out of the game.
• Senior Joe Cronin was 2-for-5 with three RBIs and his 44^th career double, which is tied for eighth in BC record books.
• Sophomore Scott Braren turned in a career-high performance with a 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
• Sophomore Jake Palomaki drew three walks on the day. He has reached base in 23 of the Eagles' 28 games.
• Freshman southpaw Dan Metzdorf allowed four hits, two runs, one walk and struck out two in his first career start.

KEY PLAYS

• The Eagles scored 11 runs through the first four innings to take a commanding lead, which sustained them throughout the game.
• With runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth, Rapp got a fly ball to center to end the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles were the first to get on the board, scoring one in the first. Palomaki drew a walk and stole second and Strem plated him with a single to center.
• BC added three more in the second to take a four-run lead. The Eagles loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, infield hit and walk with one down. Strem doubled to left to plate two and Cronin followed with a grounder to third to bring in the third run.
• The Eagles added six runs in the third to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Senior Logan Hoggarth legged out an infield single and stole second to move into scoring position. Braren tallied his own infield single to short and after Hoggarth advanced to third on the hit, he scored on a bad throw from the shortstop. BC loaded the bases with a single and walk and Strem knocked a base hit to left center to plate two. Cronin added on with a two-run single to left center. He moved to second on the throw home and freshman Gian Martellini plated him with a base hit to center.
• Harvard answered in the third with five runs of its own. The first two batters reached on a double and infield single to put runners on the corners. Freshman RHP Sean Hughes came on in the relief and got a strikeout looking for the first out. A wild pitch scored the first Crimson run. After a walk, both runners attempted a double steal and catcher Martellini's throw to third skipped away, allowing another run in. Hughes issued a walk before giving up a two-run down to DJ Link. After another walk, sophomore LHP Carmen Giampetruzzi entered the game and allowed a double to Edwin Owolo to plate two more. A walk loaded the bases but Giampetruzzi got a grounder back to the mound for a 123 double play to end the inning.
• Strem drove in another run in the fourth to make it an 11-5 lead. Braren and junior Johnny Adams started the inning with back-to-back base hits and both moved up on a wild pitch. A walk loaded the bases and Strem singled to center to score Braren.
• Harvard answered with two in the bottom of the inning. Ben Skinner drew a lead-off walk and Mitch Klug plated him with a double to left. Nelson entered the game before Klug moved to third on a passed ball. Nelson got one back to the mound for the first out, scoring a Harvard run. The righty finished off the inning with a strikeout and popup.
• Nelson retired nine of the 10 batters he faced before allowing back-to-back hits to Matt Hink and Link in the seventh. With one down, Owolo hit one up the middle to score a run and make it an 11-8 game. Nelson attempted to pick off the lead runner at second, but the ball went into center and he moved up to third. Strem fired it in and got Owolo at second for the second out. Nelson ended the inning with a groundout.
• With freshman RHP John Witkowski on the mound in the eighth, Patrick Robinson started the inning with a four-pitch walk. Witkowski came back with a strikeout and lineout before catcher's interference put two on. Rapp entered the game and allowed a single to right to plate Robinson before getting the final out on a fly ball.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Strem is the first player to record four hits in a game since Adams did so against Maine on May 12, 2015. He is also the last BC player to record at least six RBIs since Chris Shaw tallied seven at Wake Forest on April 5 2015.
• Cronin made his first career start in the outfield, playing left while junior Chris Balogh made his first career start at first base.
• The Eagles tallied at least 10 runs for the fourth time in 2016. They are 3-1 in those games. They are also 9-2 when recording at least 10 hits.
• BC tied a season high with four steals on the day.
• The Eagles made three errors for the fifth time this season. They are 2-3 in those games. They are 6-2 when they do not make an error.