Hard-Hitting Eagles Sweep Doubleheader from Baseball

CHESTNUT HILL--The book on the Boston College baseball team says they like the long ball.

The Eagles (13-12, 3-6 Big East) lived up to billing yesterday, drilling seven home runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Crimson (12-12, 6-2 Ivy) at Shea Field.

First baseman Sean McGowan led a 28-run, 28-hit assault with four home runs and nine RBI. He leads the Big East with 18 on the season, and has 50 RBI and a 1.070 slugging percentage.

"I've never had a day like this before," McGowan said. "Never hit four home runs in one day before. From the start, I was seeing the ball real well, there was a good wind and I got hold of some good pitches to drive."

B.C.'s Jeff Langone hit a grand slam during a 12-run third inning in the opener, and earned a complete-game 12-6 win, while McGowan and Eagles second baseman Mike Gambino combined for eight RBI during a 16-5 romp in the nightcap.

Langone is second on the team with six home runs.

"We were definitely a little down, losing two games that weren't that close," said captain Hal Carey. "The last few innings of both of those games, we were really out of it. It's a frustrating time right now."

B.C. 16, Harvard 5

The Eagles big burst came in the third inning of the nightcap, when they scored seven to open up a 9-1 lead and chase freshman starter Justin Nyweide (0-2).

Right fielder Mike Quirk hit a leadoff single up the middle, and two batters later, McGowan pulled Nyweide's fastball deep over the left-field wall for a 4-1 lead.

"All four of my home runs, I hit on fastballs," McGowan said. "I know that these are the mid-week pitchers, but I had a pretty easy time all afternoon picking the ball up."

Catcher Jeff Waldron stroked Nyweide's next pitch to right, comfortably clearing the 30-foot-high scoreboard behind the fence, and the rout was on.

Nyweide walked center fielder Jarett Mendoza with two outs, then gave way to sophomore John Franey, who allowed an RBI double and a home run to light-hitting second baseman Mike Gambino on a high drive to center that sat in a strong wind and carried out of the park.

Langone's two-out RBI single closed out the scoring in the inning.

"They've been a similar team for the last few years," Carey said. "They're a team that likes to hit, and playing in their park, which is suited to the home run, with a good wind, made it different. But we knew that going in."

Nyweide worked 2.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits, walking four.

Harvard put together mini-rallies in the fifth and the sixth to narrow the final margin. In the fifth, the Crimson got an RBI double from freshman utility man Mark Mager and a sacrifice fly from senior center fielder Andrew Huling. In the sixth, senior catcher Jason Keck scored on a wild pitch and Mager collected his fourth RBI of the doubleheader on a fielder's choice.

Mager was 2-for-6 with four RBI and a run scored on the day.

B.C. starter Brendan Nolan (3-1), a high school teammate of second baseman Peter Woodfork and closer Mike Madden at Swampscott High, earned the win, working 5.1 innings and allowing four earned runs on six hits.

Last season, Nolan surrendered a game-winning double to Woodfork in the opening game of a doubleheader at O'Donnell Field.

B.C. 12, Harvard 6

And you thought seven runs in the third inning was a lot?

The Eagles scored all 12 of their runs in the third, getting a grand slam from Langone plus solo and three-run homers from McGowan during a nine-hit outburst which keyed a 12-6 win in the opener.

Madden started and worked two clean innings in the first and second before putting the first seven batters he faced in the third on base. He surrendered Langone's slam and McGowan's first homer of the inning.

Sophomore Mike Dryden spelled Madden and was effective, limiting the Eagles to one earned run on five hits, walking none, over the last four innings.

Madden (1-2) went two innings, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits, all with no outs in the third.

Harvard led 2-0 after two, on the strength of junior designated hitter Jeff Bridich's two-run home run, which also scored Keck.

The Crimson continued to get nice production from Mager, who in the last four games has played shortstop, third base and left field.

Mager hit a two-run triple in the fifth, scoring Carey and sophomore right fielder Scott Carmack. He is now hitting .320 with 13 RBI, and has also stolen five bases.

Huling, second on the team in batting average at .375, helped the Crimson close to 12-6 with a two-run home run, his team-best fourth of the season, in the seventh inning.

Langone toiled through a complete game, allowing 10 hits and six earned runs while striking out seven to improve to 4-3.

"I don't know what's wrong with our hitting," Carey said. "I think it's a combination of things, like trying to find a lineup that works and not doing the little things as well."

"Right now, only Woodfork [.380] and Huling are hitting," Carey added. "And Keck and I are in the worst slumps of anybody. I think it's contagious."

Notes

The Crimson gets no rest this week, hosting Holy Cross today and Providence tomorrow.

The game with the Friars was rescheduled from the first week in May, accounting for the heavy slate. At 30-10, Providence is one of the most competitive squads on the Crimson's schedule and ranked No. 1 in New England.

"It's good to get the opportunity to go right back out," Carey said. "Holy Cross is a team that hasn't been too strong lately, but that's not going to matter tomorrow."

Holy Cross (10-11) is coming off a four-game sweep of Army last weekend in Worcester.

Carey said he expected sophomore Dan Saken (1-0) to start today against the Crusaders.