WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary baseball team fell to Delaware, 16-14, in a back and fourth affair Saturday afternoon at Plumeri Park.  In an offensive slugfest, both teams combined to score 30 runs, while pounding out 39 hits collectively.  With the loss, W&M falls to 22-12 overall and 8-6 in CAA play, while UD improves to 15-16 on the year and 8-6 in league action.

Freshman first baseman Michael Katz went 3-for-6 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a grand slam to lead the W&M bats.  For the year, Katz has belted six home runs, two of which have been grand slams.  Junior shortstop Ryan Williams was 3-for-4 with two triples and three RBIs, while junior second baseman Kevin Nutter posted a 2-for-5 effort to go along with three runs batted in and two runs scored.  Freshman designated hitter Josh Smith finished the afternoon with one hit and two RBIs.  Rounding out the offensive output were senior catcher Chris Forsten and senior right fielder Stephen Arcure, who each tallied a run batted in.

On the mound, senior RHP Jay McCarthy (3-2) took the loss in his 1.1 innings of work.  Junior RHP Brett Koehler started the affair, as he saw five innings of action.  Junior closer RHP John Farrell worked 2.2 innings of relief and only surrendered one earned run on four hits.  Delaware's senior LHP Devon Pearson (4-0) notched the win in his 2.2 innings of relief, while junior RHP Stephen Richter recorded his sixth save of the season. 

In the opening frame, Delaware plated five runs as it raced out to an early 5-0 lead.  UD's fifth run of the inning culminated when freshamn catcher Ty Warrington drove in junior right fielder Nick Ferdinand on a single to left field.

W&M quickly countered as Katz pushed across four runs with one swing of the bat.  Nutter led off the frame with a hit by the pitch and later advanced to second after Brown laid down a beautiful bunt single down the third base line.  With runners on first and second, Arcure loaded the bases up after drawing a walk. With no outs and the bases juiced, Katz then proceeded to take the 1-2 Corey Crispell offering over the right center field wall, making the score 5-4, Delaware.

The Tribe made easy work of the five run deficit as it captured the lead at 6-5 after scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning.  After a Nutter single to left field plated Williams.  Arcure drove in the Vienna, Va., native with a triple to right center filed as W&M captured a 6-5 advanatge.

William and Mary exploded with four runs in the bottom half of the third.  The highlight of the inning came off the bat of Williams.  With no outs and runners on second and third, the former Westfield H.S. standout laced a triple to left center field, which plated Smith and sophomore third baseman Ryan Lindemuth.  Before being driven in by Williams, Smith got into the action with an RBI single to left field that plated Bower.  Forsten capped off the four run frame with a sacrifice fly out to right field which pushed across Williams from third, and after three innings of play W&M owned a 10-5 margin.

The College plated another run in the fourth and extended its lead to 11-5.  Smith drove home run number 11 after plating Katz with a fielder's choice.

UD trimmed the deficit down to 11-9 after scoring four runs in the top half of the fifth.  With two outs,  Warrington pushed across the frame's last three runs with a triple to right center field.

In the top of the sixth, the Blue Hens went ahead, 12-11, on Ferdinand's two RBI triple to right center field.

The Green and Gold countered UD's three run top half by plating a trio of runs itself in the bottom half, as it gained a 14-12 lead.  Williams pushed across Katz for the frame's first run with a bases loaded walk.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Nutter drove in Lindemuth and Bower after belting a single to center field.

Down 14-12, Delaware went ahead for good after scoring three runs in the top of the seventh.  Sophomore first baseman Jimmy Yezzo tied the contest up at 14-14 after connecting on a one out two RBI double to right center field.  Ferdinand put the Blue Hens up, 15-14, with a sacrifice fly out to right field, which plated Yezzo.

In the ninth, Delaware tacked on an insurance run in the top half of the frame.  Down 16-14, and down to its last three outs, the College staged a final rally.  With one out, Bower started off the rally with a walk.  He later reached third base after Lindemuth was hit by a pitch and a Williams walk.  With two outs and the bases loaded, W&M was unable to push across any runs as Richter closed out the game with a strikeout.       

The College concludes its three-game series against Delaware tomorrow with the first pitch from Plumeri Park scheduled for 1 p.m.  Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live audio and stats.