CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The William and Mary baseball team fell in heartbreaking fashion at Virginia, 6-5 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon.  The setback drops the Tribe to 2-2 on the year, while Virginia improves to 2-1-1.

Senior starter Matt Davenport was solid on the mound as he pitched 6.2 innings of shutout baseball.  The Chesapeake, Va., native only allowed two hits in the no decision, and finished the afternoon with two strikeouts and two walks.  Out of the bullpen, junior John Farrell allowed one earned run and five hits in three innings of work.  Senior Jay McCarthy allowed two earned runs and took the loss.  Virginia's Justin Thompson earned the victory, as he pitched three scoreless innings in relief.

Sophomore third baseman Ryan Lindemuth went 3-for-7 with an RBI and stolen base to lead the Tribe offensively, while freshman right fielder Josh Smith went 2-for-6 with an RBI and a double.   Junior shortstop Ryan Williams also came up big with a 1-for-4 effort, which included an RBI.  

The Tribe got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning.  Senior catcher Chris Forsten led the inning off with a double down the left field line.   After advancing to third on a Kevin Nutter bunt single, Forsten scored the game's first run when Williams laid down a well-executed sacrifice bunt.  With two outs and Nutter on second, a Smith single up the middle drove home Nutter, and gave the College an early 2-0 lead.

W&M added another run in the top of the third with a two out RBI single to left field by Lindemuth.   Smith led the top of the frame off with a double to center before Virginia recorded consecutive outs, and Lindemuth drove him home to extend the lead.

In the top of the seventh the College gained a 4-0 advantage with another run.   Forsten got things going with his second double of the game, and Aiken then reached base after being hit by a pitch from Cavalier reliever Kyle Crockett.  Nutter then drew a two-out walk and in the process it advanced Forsten to second.   A wild pitch by Crockett allowed Forsten to take third, and Virginia's catcher threw the ball away to bring him home.

The Cavalier's rallied back and tied the contest at 4-4 in the bottom half of the eighth.   Jared King's bases-clearing double plated the Cavaliers' first three runs of the game.  With two outs an Irving single to center drove home King, and tied the score.

In the ninth, the Tribe managed to get a runner in scoring position but was unable plate the go-ahead run.   Forsten was again the runner, and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Stephen Arcure.   He moved to third on a single into right, and the College was poised to take the lead with just one out in the inning.  Williams attempted to plate Forsten with another sacrifice, but the Cavaliers chose to throw home instead and kept the score tied.

Both squads put runners in scoring position in the tenth, but neither plated any base-runners.  In the top of the 11th the Tribe loaded the bases once again.  This time however, the College plated the go-ahead run, after another Irving throwing error (Virginia's fourth of the game) allowed Smith to score from third.  The home team answered right back, however, in the bottom of the frame.  With one out and runners on second and third, Virginia's Mike Papi connected on a single to right field that drove home both run giving Virginia a 6-5 walk-off victory.

The Tribe returns to action this Friday as it travels to Gainesville, Fla., to face the No. 1 ranked Florida Gators for a three-game series.  On Friday, game one from McKethan stadium is slated to began at 7 p.m.