When they took the field, the Boston University Baseball team had a feeling that they were in for a long night. At Breed field in Lynn, Massachusetts, they were set for their first battle with the Babson club baseball team.
The game was scoreless through the first two and a half innings, when the Terriers were able to strike first. In the top of the third, senior center-fielder Mike Robinson reached base with a walk and after and error and a fielder’s choice came around to score.
In the top of the fourth, the Terriers gave the run right back after an error to the leadoff batter, and two singles back to back scored the leadoff runner and the game was again tied, this time at 1-1.
BU did not wait long to strike back, in the bottom of the inning, the Terriers had two men on with no outs and were threatening, until a base running error saw the lead runner go down. After senior captain Matt Walsh was walked, freshman designated hitter Jack Subasic put the Terriers ahead with a single to right field, scoring Hartman.
Kratzer then continued to mow down Beavers until the top of the seventh. With a 2-1 lead, Kratzer struck out the lead batter and after a walk and stolen base, Kratzer dealt with a man on second and one out, he then blew a fastball by the number nine batter and put the Terriers one out away from victory. After striking out the leadoff batter three times, Kratzer finally got beat as he stroked a single into centerfield and tied the game. Kratzer managed to get out of the inning after a hard line drive to converted middle infielder, Peter Zampa, in left field.
After failing to score in the bottom of the seventh, and with his pitch count well over 100, Kratzer took the mound again in extra innings. After two errors and a walk, the bases were loaded with no outs. A hard ground ball got past Jay Godfrey at third and scored the go ahead run, but that would be it for the Beavers in the eighth as Kratzer managed a fielder’s choice, strikeout, and a ground ball to Bowie Matteson at second to end the inning.
The Terriers refused to die in the bottom of the eighth. After a ground ball out to start the inning, the Terriers made their final push. After a walk to Peter Zampa, sophomore catcher Jordan Kessel came up and knocked in Zampa from first with the game tying double. After an error on Babson’s shortstop, it was Walsh who was up to bat and his ground ball up the middle scored Kessel and gave the Terriers the victory.
This was a significant win for the Terriers playoff hopes, given both the short season and quality of Babson’s ballclub. The Terriers have the weekend off for Easter and hope to keep up their winning ways next week.
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