WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William and Mary baseball team evened up its three-game set against High Point with a 5-4 walk-off victory on Saturday afternoon at Plumeri Park. After the Panthers erased a two-run deficit in the top of the ninth, the Green and Gold responded in the bottom half. Freshman catcher Ryan Hissey, who faced a two-out and bases loaded situation, plated the game-winning run with a single to center field as W&M improved its record to 19-8 overall. With the setback, High Point falls to 14-13 on the season.
Senior RHP John Farrell improved to 6-0 after posting his fourth complete-game of the season on Saturday afternoon. In nine innings of work, the Andover, Mass., native allowed just three earned runs, while posting seven strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, sophomore first baseman Michael Katz led the way with a 2-for-3 performance, which included an RBI and two runs scored. Junior third baseman Willie Shaw and freshman designated hitter Charley Gould each finished the contest with a hit and a run batted in, while Hissey finished afternoon with a hit and an RBI. Senior center fielder Ryan Brown went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while junior second baseman Ryan Lindemuth connected on a hit to go along with two runs scored.
High Point took an early 1-0 lead after pushing across a run in the first inning. Senior lead-off man Willie Medina got things started with an infield single to third base. After reaching third base, Medina plated the first run of the contest on a Tribe past ball.
W&M countered with a run of its own in the bottom half as it tied the contest, 1-1. With two outs, Lindemuth and Katz kept the frame alive with back-to-back singles. Lindemuth scored the Tribe's first run of the contest, from second, on a fielding error by the High Point shortstop, in which the ball deflected into left center field in his attempt to throw Gould out at first on a groundball.
The Panthers answered with a run in the top of the second as it regained a 2-1 lead. Freshman Sly Edwards drove in senior right fielder Ryan Retz, who was sitting on third, with an RBI groundout to short.
The Green and Gold took a 3-2 advantage after plating two runs in the third courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Katz and Gould. Lindemuth, who reached base on a fielder's choice, moved himself into scoring position after swiping second. Katz's slicing double down the right field line, which reached the wall plated Lindemuth as W&M once again tied the affair, 2-2. Gould followed with a frozen rope to right center field, which pushed across Katz as the Tribe took the lead, 3-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Shaw gave the Tribe a 4-2 advantage after plating Katz from second with a double to straight away center field.
Trailing 4-2 as play entered the ninth inning, High Point scored two runs in the frame as it tied the contest, 4-4. With one out and runners on second and third, senior pinch hitter Scott Glover pushed across both runs with a single to center field.
The Green and Gold got things going in the bottom half as Brown led the frame off with a single to center field. The Fredericksburg, Va., native got into scoring position with a swipe of second base. Katz followed with an intentional walk as HPU went on to retire the next batter, which was the second out of the inning. With Brown on second and Katz on first, the Panthers loaded the bases with an intentional walk of Shaw. Hissey followed with a gutty at bat as the West Chester, Pa., natvie went down in the count early, 0-2. However, after drawing two balls and fouling off multiple pitches, he came through with a single to center field, which plated Brown for the game-winning run.
The series concludes tomorrow with the rubber match at Plumeri Park slated for 1 p.m. Fans can follow the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live audio and stats.
