BRIGHTON, Mass. – With the game tied 2-2 headed to the bottom of the sixth, Boston College (23-25, 10-16 ACC) scored one in the sixth and three more in the seventh to defeat Stanford (23-20, 8-18 ACC) 6-2 on Sunday to even a three-game ACC series.
Stanford jumped out to the early 1-0 lead in the second as Charlie Saum blooped a two-out single into center field to chase home Rintaro Sasaki. Sasaki had reached with a leadoff double to start the inning.
One of the best baserunning teams in the ACC, Boston College managed to plate a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead on a productive out to third base in the third inning. With runners at second and third and one out, Gunnar Johnson chopped a ball to Trevor Haskins at third that was charged and thrown on the run to first. The throw skipped off the turf and was picked out by Sasaki for the out, but trail runner Patrick Roche spun third on the play and scored well ahead of the throw to the plate.
The Cardinal immediately answered to tie the game in the top of the fourth as freshman JJ Moran laced a line drive out to left field for his first career home run. The homer was the first of two hits for Moran on Saturday afternoon.
The 2-2 game held until the bottom of the sixth when Vince Cimini shot a two-out single up the middle and past the diving effort of Jimmy Nati to chase home the go-ahead run and reclaim the Boston College lead.
The run was charged to Stanford reliever Ryan Speshyock, as the right-hander was eventually saddled with the loss and dropped to 1-1 on the season. Speshyock, the first of three relievers used on Saturday, allowed the one run on three hits and a walk while striking out three over two innings.
Senior Ty Uber made an emergency start for the Cardinal after junior Matt Scott was scratched just prior to first pitch. Uber was good in the spot start, allowing two runs over four innings.
Batting against reliever Toran O’Harran in the seventh, the Eagles managed to score three runs on two hits – including a two-RBI double from Kyle Wolff - to stretch their lead to 6-2. All the offense came with two outs, as O’Harran issued a pair of walks after retiring the first two batters faced to work himself into a jam.
Freshman Liam Golden recorded the final three outs on the hill for Stanford in his second collegiate appearance, striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth.
The two teams will decide the series on Sunday at 10 a.m. PT.