Houston Tosses Eight Shutout Innings To Lead Boston College To 15-4 Win Over Duke

Saturday, April 1

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

1:00 PM

Duke University

Boston College

Tonight?s Duke-Davidson Baseball Game Postponed Due To Rain

Houston Tosses Eight Shutout Innings To Lead Boston College To 15-4 Win Over Duke

4/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

BROCKTON, Mass. ? Boston College starter Dan Houston threw eight shutout innings to lead the Eagles to a 15-4 win over the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium. The Blue Devils fall to 9-23 overall and 2-9 in the ACC while the Eagles improve to 15-11-1 overall and 4-7 in league action.

Houston improves to 2-2 on the season after striking out five batters and holding the Blue Devils to five hits in 8.0 scoreless frames.

Boston College grabbed an insurmountable 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Third baseman Eric Campbell doubled down the left field line to start the inning. After designated hitter Jett Ruiz was hit by a pitch, Campbell advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt, giving the Eagles runners on the corners. Center fielder Pete Frates then reached on an error, allowing Campbell to score from third. After shortstop Joe Ayers flied out to center, Ruiz advanced to third on a passed ball. Right fielder Johnny Ayers then drew a walk to load the bases. Second baseman Ryan Hutchinson followed with a bases-clearing double down the right field line, scoring Ruiz, Frates and Ayers. Left fielder Jared McGuire then capped the inning with an RBI-single to left to score Hutchinson.

In the bottom of the fourth, Johnny Ayers singled up the middle before McGuire laced an RBI-double into the left-center gap to give the Eagles a 6-0 lead.

The Eagles scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 12-0 lead. After Campbell was hit by a pitch, he advanced to second on a passed ball. Ruiz followed with a single to short, giving Boston College runners on the corners. Frates then doubled over Daniel Palmer's head in left to score Campbell. Joe Ayers was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Johnny Ayers followed with a two-run single to left field, scoring Ruiz and Frates before Hutchinson capped the inning with a three-run homer to left.

McGuire added an RBI-triple into the right field corner, Houston lined an RBI-single up the middle and Campbell had an RBI-triple off the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh to give the Eagles a 15-0 advantage.

Duke scored four runs in the top of the ninth off left-handed reliever Nick Napolitano to make it a 15-4 ballgame. Left fielder Tim Sherlock lined an RBI-single up the middle to score first baseman Jonathan Nicolla, third baseman Kyle Kreick doubled off the left field wall to score pinch hitter Jeff Blickman, center fielder Jonathan Anderson had an RBI-groundout that scored Sherlock and second baseman Javier Socorro added an RBI-single to cap the scoring.

Duke starter Tony Bajoczky fell to 1-6 after allowing 12 runs on 12 hits in 5.0 innings of work. Four of the five runs scored in the second were unearned.

Kreick led the Blue Devils at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Socorro, designated hitter Nate Freiman and Nicolla all added a pair of hits for Duke.

Hutchinson went 4-for-5 with six RBI to lead the Eagles. McGuire also collected four hits while Campbell added three hits in the win.

Duke and Boston College will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at noon.

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