Huge rally gives BC NCAA win
Published 9:14 pm Saturday, May 30, 2009
With six runs in the top of the ninth, Boston College (34-24) prevailed 8-7 over Texas State (41-16) in the first round of its NCAA regional baseball tournament in Austin, Tex. on Friday.
Texas St., seeded second in the four-team regional, led 5-2 going to the ninth inning before the No. 3 Eagles came back.
The big blow in the rally was John Spatola’s three-run home run which gave BC a 6-5 lead. Matt Hamlet (Nansemond-Suffolk) added a sacrifice hit in the ninth inning after Spatola’s homer. Hamlet, a sophomore second baseman who hit second in BC’s order Friday, was 1 for 3 at the plate on the day.
Boston College faced No. 1, and the nation’s top-ranked collegiate baseball team, Texas, on Saturday night in Austin.
The winner of the four-team, double-elimination bracket in Austin will be one of 16 teams to reach the NCAA Super Regionals with eight of those 16 teams reaching the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.