MIAMI, Fla. (www.fiusports.com) – FIU held off a potent Boston College lineup for most of the game, but the dam broke in a four-run the eighth inning for the Eagles and led to a 7-3 loss Monday night at University Park Stadium. The Eagles (5-3) out-hit FIU (4-6) 13-3 and stranded 11 runners.

B.C. senior Nick Asselin (1-1) went 7.0 innings and gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. Relievers Steven Cadoret and Chris Kowalski both threw an inning of perfect relief to hold the lead..

Freshman Jorge Marban (0-1) was charged with the loss, giving up three earned runs in an inning-plus of work. FIU starter Steven Stewart labored through 6.0 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts, a walk and two hit batters in the no-decision.

Tyler Townsend knocked in two of FIU’s runs and hit his fourth home run of the season. The Eagles’ 1-8 batters all had at least one hit and were led by Barry Butera, who homered and went 3-for-5. Mike Augustine drove in a pair of runs on a two-run shot in the second inning for B.C.

FIU held off several B.C. scoring threats throughout the game, including bases-loaded jams in the fifth and seventh innings. The eighth was altogether different.

With the score tied at 3-3, Sam Shaughnessy drew a leadoff walk against Marban. The freshman right-hander maintained his composure to get Marc Perdios and Butera out while pinch-runner Mike Sudol moved to second. B.C. overcame its game-long stagnant play with runners in scoring position as catcher Tony Sanchez smacked a double to center, scoring Sudol for the go-ahead run. Eric Campbell followed with a RBI single and Marban was spelled by Brian Santana on the mound.

Mickey Wiswall greeted Santana with a RBI single to bring the score to 6-3. Wiswall advanced to third on the play, taking advantage of Lammar Guy’s errant throw from center. A passed ball allowed Wiswall to score to make it 7-3.

The four-run lead was plenty of cushion for Cadoret and Kowalski, who put down the Golden Panthers in order in the final two frames. 

Augustine got things started for B.C. with a two-run home run to right-center off Stewart in the top of the second for a 2-0 lead.

Townsend cut the lead in half with a shot off the scoreboard in left-center to lead off the bottom of the second.

The Eagles were relatively quiet at the plate until the fifth. Perdios led off the inning with a double to left and moved to third on Butera’s bunt single. Butera stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Stewart bore down and forced Sanchez and Campbell to pop up before walking Wiswall to load the bases. But Michael Belfiore lined out to right to end the inning with no harm done.

Asselin breezed through the FIU lineup until the sixth. Corey Lozano reached on an error and moved to second on Ryan Mollica’s single to right. Raimy Fuentes moved both runners up with a deep fly ball to center. Townsend drove in his second run of the night with a grounder to first to score Lozano and knot the game at 2-2.

The tie didn’t last long. Freshman reliever Garret Trezona started the seventh and gave up a solo home run to Butera that swung the game back into the Eagles’ favor, 3-2.

Another B.C. error in the bottom of the seventh allowed FIU to tie the game. Jorge Castillo led off the inning with single and moved to second when Campbell dropped Javier Sujo’s grounder at shortstop. Asselin was able to strike out pinch-hitters Ty Main and Anthony Boza before issuing back-to-back walks to Lozano and Mollica, the last of which scored Castillo for the second and final tie of the game at 3-3.

FIU concludes its 11-game homestand with a 6 p.m. first pitch against Maine on Wednesday.