Red Sox top Northeastern 15-0 in opener of exhibition DH; play Boston College in 2nd game

Red Sox top Northeastern 15-0 in exhibition game

FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Ortiz hit a two-run homer, and top prospect Casey Kelly made his spring training debut with a scoreless first inning as a Boston Red Sox split squad beat Northeastern University 15-0 on Wednesday in the first game of an exhibition doubleheader.

The Red Sox will take on Boston College in the second game.

Boston pitchers surrendered only two hits. Kelly, who was named the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2009, struck out two, both on changeups.

“He has some great stuff,” said catcher Victor Martinez. “He was throwing his fastball in and out, mixing it with his curveball, changeup. He only threw one inning, but he threw pretty good pitches, quality pitches.”

Kelly admitted he had some butterflies on the mound, but that changed after his outing.

“I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since I got off the mound,” said Boston’s No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft out of Sarasota High School. “But it was a good first outing, and to have the crowd and some of the people behind me playing defense was a tremendous honor.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona was pleased with the performance of the 20-year-old.

“He threw strikes, as I think our whole staff did,” Francona said. “But he threw strikes, pounded the zone. We could sit on the complex and play an intrasquad game, (but) this was a good way to do it. Guys get at-bats. They get to play on the field. They get their legs under them on the mound. It’s a good way to get into the Grapefruit League.”

Manny Delcarmen, who followed Kelly to the mound, pitched one inning and picked up the win.

Gil Velazquez hit a bases-loaded double in the second inning. Luis Esposito went 2 for 4, scored twice and had four RBI, and Che-Hsuan Lin and Ryan Khoury also had two hits each for Boston.

Sean Lyons and Kevin Ferguson had Northeastern’s pair of hits. Les Williams took the loss, allowing three runs — two earned — on two hits and three walks in one inning.