BLACKSBURG – Down by two in the final frame, the Virginia Tech baseball team cut its deficit to one on a Nick Biddison single and continued to load the bases with just one out. However, Boston College closer Matt Gill got the final two outs to end the contest and preserve the Eagles' 2-1 victory in the first game of a three-game ACC series at English Field at Union Park on Saturday night.
The Hokies had at least one baserunner in every inning, including the leadoff batter in six of nine frames, but could not end their scoring drought until the ninth. Tech had been held without a run for 29 straight ACC innings, dating back to the Miami series, and stranded a total of 13 men in the loss.
Boston College (25-24, 9-16 ACC) starter Dan Metzdorf improved to 6-2 with the victory, tossing 7.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, while Gill picked up his fifth save.
Tech starter Ian Seymour, now 4-5, notched his fourth quality start of the season and the 10th of his Tech career in the loss. He struck out eight batters over 6.0 innings and allowed just two runs. Connor Yoder (1.0 IP/2 K), Ryan Okuda (0.2/1) and Jaison Heard (1.1/2) finished off the game for the Hokies.
BC's Cody Morissette singled home Jake Alu, who doubled, to record his team's only RBI in the third. In the sixth, the Eagles had runners on the corners with no outs. Tech turned its second double play of the game, the 41st of the year, but Morissette crossed the plate to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
In the fifth and sixth, the Hokies had runners on second and third, but could not break through off of Metzdorf. In the ninth, Dalton Harum singled for his third hit of the night and Jack Owens hit a one-out double, his third hit as well, to put runners on second and third once again.
Biddison followed with that RBI single to score Harum and Kerry Carpenter drew a one-out walk to load the bases before back-to-back groundouts – the first to Gill, who came home to get the lead runner – ended the night.
For Owens, it was his team-leading eighth game with at least three hits, which also gave him his 50th career multi-hit game in a Tech uniform. Harum tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the season, while Kevin Madden added two hits for his 15th multi-hit game of the year.
Up Next
Tech and Boston College will play Game 2 of the ACC series at English Field at Union Park on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.
A reminder to fans looking to attend any of this weekend's games against the Eagles, tickets are required for ACC home games this season. CLICK HERE to purchase in advance. For those attending this weekend's games, please visit our GAMEDAY CENTRAL PAGE for more information about parking, prohibited items and an A to Z Guide on English Field at Union Park.
Gallery: (5/4/2019) 2019 BASEBALL vs. BOSTON COLLEGE GAME 1