WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Facing
a 3-2 deficit as play entered the bottom of the ninth, the William and Mary
baseball team rallied for two runs in the frame as it defeated Rutgers, 4-3, on
Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Plumeri Park. With the contest deadlocked at 3-3, senior
Kevin Nutter drove in the game-winning run as his one-out single to left field
plated freshman pinch-hitter Jonathan Sarty.
The win improves the Tribe's record to 10-5 overall, while the setback
drops Rutgers to 3-9 on the season.
Offensively, senior Kevin Nutter went 3-for-5 with the
game-winning RBI, while junior left fielder Willie Shaw registered two RBIs and
a hit. For the third consecutive day,
freshman Jonathan Sarty belted a pinch-hit RBI in his only at bat, which tied
the contest at 3-3. Senior center
fielder Ryan Brown went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while sophomore Michael Katz
and senior Ryan Williams each scored a run.
On the mound, sophomore LHP Jason Inghram (1-2) turned in an
impressive performance in the no decision.
In 8.1 innings of work, the Chesapeake, Va., native allowed just two
earned runs on only four hits, while posting five strikeouts. Freshman reliever Mitchell Aker (1-0) picked
up the first win of his career after recording the final two outs in the top
half of the ninth.
The Green and Gold got off to a fast start on Sunday
afternoon with two runs in the bottom half of the first. Shaw's two-out rope to right field pushed
across Brown and Katz as W&M took the early advantage, 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, Rutgers plated a run as it got to
within 2-1. Senior Bill Hoermann's
infield groundout to first base drove in senior catcher Jeff Melillo for the
Scarlet Knights' first run of the afternoon.
W&M was poised to strike as it loaded the bases in the
bottom half of the fifth. With two outs
and the bases loaded, Katz blistered a line drive, that was destined for right
field, but Hoermann was there to make a potential bases clearing snag.
In the top of the ninth, Rutgers plated two runs as it
gained a 3-2 advantage. Hoermann pushed
across the first run with a bloop single to right field which tied the contest,
while sophomore left fielder Vinny Zarrillo scored on a wild pitch as Rutgers
went ahead by a run, 3-2.
Trailing by a run and down to its last three outs, the Tribe
mounted one final charge. Williams led
off the frame with a single to left field and later advanced to second on
freshman Brian Lee's sacrifice bunt.
With one out and Williams on second, Sarty plated the Fairfax, Va.,
native with a single to left center, which knotted the affair at 3-3. On a heads up play, Sarty advanced to second
on RU's attempt to throw out Williams at home.
Now with the momentum on its side, W&M struck while the iron was hot
as Nutter ripped a single into left field, which brought around Sarty for the clinching
run.
The Tribe returns to action when
it hosts Liberty on Tuesday, March 12.
The first pitch at Plumeri Park is scheduled for 4 p.m. and fans can
follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live audio and stats.
