In a rollercoaster day of baseball down in Spartanburg, Boston College showcased resilience and grit in their doubleheader, splitting results against Cornell and Northwestern. The Eagles started strong with a nail-biting 7-6 victory over Cornell but couldn't maintain the momentum, falling 8-5 to Northwestern in the afternoon clash.
Game 1: Boston College vs. Cornell
Boston College's pitching staff set the tone early. The starter matched his career high with six solid innings, allowing just two hits and fanning five. The bullpen duo of Chase Hartsell and John Kwiatkowski sealed the deal, with Hartsell earning the win and Kwiatkowski securing the save.
Offensively, Ty Mainolfi was the spark plug, getting the Eagles on the board with a two-out single in the first. Jack Toomey followed with his second triple of the weekend, pushing Boston College to an early 1-0 lead.
Cornell battled back, taking a 2-1 lead in the fourth, but Kyle Wolff's groundout brought Mainolfi home again, leveling the score. The Eagles capitalized on a balk and a sacrifice fly in the fifth, stretching the lead to 4-2.
The Big Red didn't go quietly, launching a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth. But Boston College had the last word.
Gunnar Johnson, coming off the bench, smashed a clutch three-run homer to deep right, giving the Eagles a 7-4 cushion. Despite a late Cornell rally, Kwiatkowski shut the door to clinch the win.
Game 2: Boston College vs. Northwestern
The afternoon matchup saw Drew Grumbles take the mound for Boston College, followed by a solid four-inning effort from Jacob Burnham. The Eagles shuffled through four more pitchers as the game unfolded.
Mainolfi was once again instrumental, reaching on an error and scoring on a wild pitch to put Boston College ahead 1-0. The Eagles extended their lead to 3-1 in the fifth, thanks to Mainolfi's timely single that drove in two runs.
However, the eighth inning was a nightmare for Boston College, as Northwestern exploded for seven runs, turning the tide and taking an 8-3 lead. The Eagles showed fight with Solier's RBI single and Toomey's solo homer in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to bridge the gap.
Boston College will look to bounce back as they head to Ft. Myers, Florida, to face Florida Gulf Coast on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Fans can expect another spirited performance as the Eagles aim to sharpen their claws for the next challenge.