March 18, 2007
ATLANTA – Tony Sanchez had three hits and drove in three runs to help Boston College (6-8-1, 4-2 ACC) avoid a series sweep in Atlanta as the Eagles defeated Georgia Tech (11-10, 3-3 ACC), 9-2, Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Georgia Tech won Friday night’s game, 10-0, and stopped the Eagles, 5-2, on Saturday.
Sanchez went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI to lead the Eagles, while Terry Doyle (2-0) held the Jackets to just two runs on six hits while striking out five in his first start of the season.
Wally Crancer, Michael Fisher and Brad Feltes led the Yellow Jackets with two hits apiece, while Feltes also drove in a pair of runs on the afternoon.
The Eagles scored a pair of runs on one hit while being aided by three Yellow Jacket errors to take a 2-0 edge in the third inning. With two outs, Joseph Ayers reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on the Jackets’ first error of the game before scoring on an RBI single by John Ayers. Ayers then stole second base and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt before scoring on a fielding error by Feltes.
Tech starter Ryan Turner (1-3) gave up just two unearned runs on three hits through the first five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth, as Tony Sanchez and Peter Frates each hit solo home runs to push the score to 4-0.
Turner went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits while striking out a season-high six batters.
The Jackets cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Feltes belted his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the left field wall, but the Eagles answered with four runs off Yellow Jacket reliever Brad Rulon in the top of the seventh to extend the BC lead to 8-2.
Michael Belfiore earned his first save of the season by holding the Jackets scoreless over the final three innings. He gave up just two hits while striking out three.
Boston College’s final run came in the top of the ninth when John Ayers tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jared McGuire.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action Wednesday afternoon when they head across town to Panthersville for a single game against Georgia State at 6 p.m. before traveling to Duke next weekend for their first ACC road series of the season.
