Boston College Evens Series with 5-3 Win Sunday

Saturday, April 9

Durham, N.C. (Durham Bulls Athletic Park)

1:00 PM

Duke University

Boston College

Boston College Evens Series with 5-3 Win Sunday

4/9/2011 4:16:00 PM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – Matt McGovern drove in four RBI, and starter John Leonard scattered three runs over seven innings to help Boston College even the series with Duke following a 5-3 win on Saturday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

McGovern tagged four hits, including a go-ahead two-run triple in the seventh inning, to raise his batting average to .417 on the season. His three-run knock in the seventh gave Leonard (4-3) and the Boston College bullpen just enough of a lead to hold on for the series-tying win.

Leonard surrendered 10 hits to Duke (19-15, 4-10 ACC), but settled down after the third inning and faced the minimum from the fourth through sixth inning. The senior right-hander gave up one more run in the seventh that allowed Duke to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Eagle relievers Kyle Prohovich and Garret Smith each threw a scoreless frame in the eighth and ninth to secure the win. Smith, who started at first base and recorded a single, worked around one hit in the ninth to record his fifth save of the year.

Duke matched Boston College (12-16, 5-8 ACC) with 12 hits, giving the Blue Devils double-digit hits for the fourth straight game. The Eagles turned three double plays, however, to end potential rallies in the first, second and sixth innings.

Duke starter Dennis O'Grady (4-2) allowed just two runs over his first six innings, but gave up the lead in the seventh when McGovern poked his triple into the right-center field gap where it fell just in front of a diving Will Piwnica-Worms.

Duke had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth with Piwnica-Worms on third base and two outs on the board, but Prohovich, who entered the game to start the inning, got a clutch strikeout to end the threat and hold onto Boston College's one-run lead.

Leonard escaped two early jams in the first two innings and stranded three runners during that span, but Duke finally broke through with two runs in the third inning. Both runs scored on two-out hits, including an RBI double to the right-center field gap by freshman Chris Marconcini and an infield single by Piwnica-Worms. The two-base knock for Marconcini gave him is team-leading 16th two-out RBI and 17th extra-base hit.

O'Grady shut out the Eagles over the first four innings, but gave way to a two-run rally in the top of the fifth. Early control issues came back to haunt O'Grady after he hit Boston College catcher Matt Watson and walked second baseman Matt Hamlet in successive at bats. From there, nine-hitter Tom Bourdon delivered a single that loaded the bases, and McGovern sent in two runs with a base hit up the middle to tie the game at 2-2.

Leonard, meanwhile, settled down after the third inning and faced the minimum through his next three frames. His right fielder McGovern rewarded him with a two-run triple in the seventh inning to put Boston College ahead 4-2. Duke then went to right-handed freshman Robert Huber, who gave up just one more run over the final 2.2 frames.

Duke plated a run in the bottom half of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Joe Pedevillano to cut the deficit to 4-3. Pedevillano came to the plate with runners on second and third and one out and quickly fell into an 0-2 hole. He battled back and fouled off four straight pitches, however, before lifting an outside fastball into the right-center field gap for the RBI flyout. Freshman Angelo LaBruna was left standing on second, however, after Leonard rebounded to retire three-hitter Jordan Betts for the third straight out.

That would be the last run Duke scored, however, as Prohovich stranded Piwnica-Worms on third base in the eighth and Smith stranded LaBruna on first in the ninth to spoil Duke's last two scoring opportunities.

With the series tied at one game apiece, Duke and Boston College will play a decisive third game on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Duke will start right-hander Marcus Stroman (1-1, 2.68 ERA) opposite Boston College southpaw Nate Bayuk (3-3, 5.68 ERA).