WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William and Mary baseball team lost a wild 16-15 game to Brown on Monday night at Plumeri Park. The game featured five lead changes and a tie. With the setback, William and Mary falls to 16-7, while Brown improves to 4-6.
Senior Ryan Lindemuth, junior Nick Thompson and sophomore Charley Gould led the Tribe with four hits apiece. Lindemuth and Gould each drove in a game-high four runs.
Brown opened the game's scoring with three runs in the top of the first inning. Robert Henry, J.J. Franco, and Dan Kerr all singled, loading the bases. The next batter, Josh Huntley doubled to the left field wall, driving in a pair of runs. Following an out, Daniel Massey singled to center, scoring Kerr.
For the 11th straight game William and Mary scored in the first inning, responding with fours runs in the home half of the inning. Thompson led off the inning, reaching on an error, and moving to third on a double from senior Kevin Casey. Lindemuth singled back up the middle, scoring Thompson from third base. Junior Michael Katz followed with an infield single, scoring Casey. The next batter, senior Kevin Nutter singled loading the bases. Gould continued the rally with a single back up the middle, scoring both Lindemuth and Katz, and giving the Tribe a 4-3 advantage.
The Bears regained the lead with three runs in the top of the second inning. With one-out, Franco and Kerr hit back-to-back singles, moving to second and third on a wild pitch. Huntley followed with a single down the left field line, plating two runs. After an out, Masey was walked putting runners on first and second with two outs. Will Marcal followed with an RBI single, making the score 6-4.
Brown added a run again in the top of the fourth inning. Kerr singled up the middle, starting the rally, moving to second on a walk to Huntley. A single from Marc Sredojevic brought home Kerr, giving the Bears a 7-4 lead. Freshman reliever Daniel Powers got Will Marcal to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, ending threat.
The Tribe responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gould led off the frame with a double down the right field line, moving to third on a one-out groundout. With two outs, freshman Ryder Miconi singled into left field, scoring Gould. The next batter, Thompson, belted a two-run homer over the left field wall, tying the score 7-7.
Brown took its third lead of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Massey hit a one-out solo-homer to give the Bears an 8-7 lead.
W&M took the lead for the second time in the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, striking for six runs in the frame. Senior Derek Lowe led off the inning with a single, moving to second a sacrifice bunt, which also allowed Miconi to reach on a fielder's choice. The next batter, Thompson hit a bunt single, loading the bases. After an out, Lindemuth hit a single, scoring Lowe. Katz followed suite with a single scoring both Miconi and Thompson. Nutter continued the rally with a single, scoring Lindemuth and putting runners on the corners. Gould then belted a double to the center field wall, clearing the bases, and making the score 13-8, in favor of the Tribe.
The Bears didn't go away and struck for six runs in the top of the eighth inning, retaking the lead for good. Franco led off the inning with a single, moving to second on a walk from Kerr. Sredojvic followed with a single, plating Franco. The next batter, Massey doubled to right-center field scoring Kerr. Marcal followed suited and doubled down the left field line, clearing the bases. Wes Van Broom, followed with a walk. After an out, Henry reached on an error loading the bases. Franco followed with a triple clearing the bases, regaining the lead for Brown. Franco came around to score on a wild pitch, making the score 16-13.
William and Mary stormed back in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring two runs, cutting the lead to a run. Miconi started the inning with a single, moving to third on a single from Thompson. After an out, Lindemuth tripled into the left-center field gap, scoring both Miconi and Thompson. After back-to-back intentional walks to Katz and Nutter the bases were loaded. Brown, however, got the final two outs of the inning, keeping the score 16-15.
Sophomore Joseph Gaouette was saddled with his first loss of the season. Brown's Nathan Mann picked up the win tossing 2.2. innings, scattering three hits, and allowing two runs. He also had three strikeouts.
Katz continued his hot hitting for the Tribe in the game. He went 4-for-5 on the night, scoring two runs and driving in three runs. With the three RBIs, he now has 50 RBIs for the season.
It was the ninth game this season, William and Mary scored double-digit runs, and it was also the third straight game the Tribe had more than 10 runs. It was also the third striaght game W&M had 20 or more hits, and the sixth time of the season.
The College concludes its 10-game home stand tomorrow, March 25, against VMI at 7 p.m. W&M hits the road to take on Norfolk State on Wednesday, March 26, before returning home to play Delaware on Friday, March 28.
