Boston College baseball rallies past Seton Hall 6-4 to open Puerto Rico Challenge season trip

Season opens with late scoring and bullpen work in Ponce

Boston College opened its 2026 baseball season with a 6-4 win over Seton Hall on Friday night, Feb. 13, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the first game for both teams at the Puerto Rico Challenge. The Eagles’ comeback featured a three-run fifth inning, a two-run seventh, and a final insurance run in the eighth to secure the opening result of the four-day event.

The game was played at Estadio Francisco Montaner, one of two venues used for the invitational, which also stages games in Caguas. Boston College is scheduled to continue the Puerto Rico Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 14, against Houston in Caguas, before returning to Ponce on Sunday, Feb. 15, to face Washington.

How the game unfolded

Seton Hall built an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of baserunners and a defensive miscue to go up 2-0. Boston College’s starting pitcher, AJ Colarusso, worked four innings; the runs he allowed were unearned. Seton Hall later regained the lead in the fifth on a two-run home run, moving in front 4-3 after Boston College had briefly taken a one-run advantage.

Boston College’s offense broke through in the fifth and again in the late innings. Carter Hendrickson and Nick Wang figured prominently in the rally, with Hendrickson sparking run-producing opportunities and Wang delivering key run-scoring contact. The Eagles pulled even at 4-4 in the seventh and moved ahead later in the inning, then added a run in the eighth to make it 6-4.

• Final score: Boston College 6, Seton Hall 4
• Date and site: Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 — Ponce, Puerto Rico
• Event: Puerto Rico Challenge

Pitching decisions and closing sequence

Boston College used multiple relievers after Colarusso’s start. Cesar Gonzalez earned the win in relief, and Gavin Soares was part of the late-inning effort that preserved the lead. Seton Hall had a chance to extend the game in the ninth, putting a runner aboard with two outs, but Boston College finished the inning with a strikeout to close out the opener.

The Puerto Rico Challenge places early-season games on neutral fields in Ponce and Caguas, matching Boston College with Seton Hall, Houston and Washington over three days.

What’s next in Puerto Rico and beyond

Boston College’s opening-week trip is designed to provide high-volume, neutral-site competition before the team returns to the mainland schedule. After the Puerto Rico Challenge, the Eagles’ early slate continues with additional road games before a home opener later in February.

For Seton Hall, the loss marked an opening test against an ACC opponent before its remaining Puerto Rico Challenge matchups, part of an early schedule that typically emphasizes tournament settings and travel to accumulate non-conference results ahead of league play.