 Michael Belfiore continued his impressive freshman campaign with a two-run homer.
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The baseball team won its third straight game on Wednesday afternoon against the hapless Dartmouth Big Green. A sparse crowd witnessed the 12-6 slugfest at sunny Shea Field.
The Eagles fell behind early in the contest as Boston College starting pitcher Kurt Hayer struggled to locate the strike zone. The right-hander got the first two Dartmouth hitters out in the first, before walking the next three batters. That loaded the bases for Big Green leftfielder Andrew Nacario, and he responded with a two-run single.
The Eagles struck back in the bottom of the first when freshman first baseman Mike Belfiore hit a two-run shot over the left field wall. Belfiore's third home run of the season tied the score at two, before BC added another run off of Dartmouth starter Chase Carpenter to take the lead for good. "He [Carpenter] just threw me a straight fastball, and I drove the ball. I've been seeing the ball well lately, so hopefully I'll keep it up," said Belfiore after the game. Carpenter's record fell to 0-7 on the season.
BC's bats then erupted for eight hits in the second inning, including leadoff back-to-back-to-back doubles by Brandon Ziemann, Harry Darling, and Ryan Hutchinson. Three singles and a double later, the Eagles had taken a commanding 9-2 lead.
Hayer's woes continued in the top of the third, and he was pulled after allowing eight walks, three hits, and five runs.
Despite the rocky start, the sophomore earned his first career win. After his exit, reliever Geoff Oxley scattered five hits over three innings for the Eagles. The freshman struck out three Dartmouth batters, and keyed the Eagles strong bullpen performance, which has been a recent trend for baseball head coach Mikio Aoki.
"Our bullpen has been great lately. It's awesome to see the guys pitching well, especially Ox [Oxley]," said pinch-hitter Tony Sanchez about his roommate. "To win in this league, you've got to have pitching depth. It makes my job easier, too," the every day catcher added. "I'm a lazy guy, so I love just sitting back and watching my pitchers work."
Spring Break
