Williamsburg, Va.
- The William and Mary Tribe baseball team had its three-game winning streak
snapped at the hands of the Hofstra Pride on Friday night, dropping a 6-2
decision at Plumeri Park. With the loss,
the Tribe falls to 14-15 overall and to 7-6 in the CAA, while the Pride improve
to 5-15 on the season and to 5-5 in conference play.
Offensively the Tribe was led by sophomores Derek Lowe
and
Ryan Brown
, with each collecting a pair of hits on the day. Senior Jonathan Slattery
also had two knocks and
drove in a run, while classmate Derrick Osteen
also had a RBI.
Despite taking the loss, junior Matt Davenport
was solid on the
mound for the Tribe, pitching 8.1 innings.
Davenport allowed four runs, three earned, and struck out four batters.
The Tribe wasted little time getting on the scoreboard
Friday night, taking the early lead over the Pride with a run in the bottom of
the first. With two outs in the frame,
junior Stephen Arcure
doubled down the right-field line on the first pitch he
saw to get in to scoring position for Slattery.
With the count 1-2 to the senior second baseman, Slattery ripped a single
through the left side of the infield, scoring Arcure from second, giving the
College a 1-0 lead after one inning.
The Green and Gold's lead lasted one inning before the Pride
tied the game in the top of the third.
In the fifth, Hofstra took the lead, scoring an unearned run to take a
2-1 advantage over the Tribe.
W&M responded in its half of the inning, tying the game
with an unearned run of its own. Leading
off the frame, Lowe reached on a throwing error by the Hofstra third
baseman. He was then joined on base by Brown,
who singled to right field. After a
great sacrifice bunt from freshman Ryan Lindemuth
, runners were on second and
third with one out for Osteen. On a 1-2
pitch, Osteen hit a deep fly ball to center field, scoring Lowe from third and
tying the game at 2-2 after five complete innings.
For the next three innings, neither team would be able to
get a run across the plate, sending the game to the ninth with the score still
tied at 2-2.
In the top of the ninth, Hofstra would put four runs on the
board, highlighted by a Dylan Nasiatka two-run double. With the game going to the bottom of the
ninth, the Pride led the Tribe, 6-2.
In the bottom of the frame, the College tried to recreate
some earlier two-out magic. Lindemuth
attempted to start a rally with a two-out single to right center. Next up was Osteen, who joined him on the base
paths with a sharply hit single to left field.
The rally would stall there, however, as Hofstra's David D'Errico
induced a fly out to finish the game.
Led by D'Errico's complete game, the Pride defeated the Tribe, 6-2.
The William and Mary Tribe baseball team will continue its
three-game conference series with the Hofstra Pride on Saturday, April 2. First pitch at Plumeri Park is scheduled for
4 p.m.
