WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Redshirt freshman Kyle Wrighte doubled down the left-field line to score freshman Hunter Smith and propel the William & Mary baseball team to an 8-7 walk-off victory over Towson in game one of a Saturday doubleheader at Plumeri Park. The victory was W&M's third walkoff win of the year as the Tribe improved to 23-22 overall and 11-6 in CAA play. Towson fell to 17-29 and 7-9 in league action.
 
After Towson pulled even in the top of the ninth thanks to an infield single with the bases loaded, the Tribe tallied the walk-off win with two outs. After Towson's David Marriggi retired the first two Green and Gold hitters of the frame, Smith drew a walk to bring Wrighte to the plate. On a 0-2 count, the South Riding, Va., native laced a shot just inside the third-base line and into the left field corner. The relay throw to the plate from Towson shortstop Brady Policelli hit Smith in the back as the Tribe catcher slid into home, giving W&M the walk-off win.
 
Sophomore Ryan Hall led W&M at the plate with his second career four-hit game, adding a run scored and two RBI. Wrighte was 3-of-5 and scored three runs to go along with the game-winning RBI. Senior Charley Gould hit his fifth home run of the season and collected two RBI.
 
Senior Joseph Gaouette picked up the victory for W&M, working the ninth inning to improve to 2-1 on the year. Junior starter Nick Brown worked 6.2 innings, allowing six runs on six hits, while striking out six. Marriggi took the loss for Towson, falling to 1-5 after allowing two runs on three hits over 2.1 innings.
 
Towson got on the board with a pair of two-out runs in the opening inning. After a double play thanks to a nice diving play in left by Hall, Policelli walked and came around to score on a double to the left-center field gap by Chris Henze. A.J. Gallo singled through the right side to drive home Henze and stake the Tigers to a 2-0 lead.
 
The Green and Gold answered scoring three in the bottom of the first with the big damage coming off the bat of Gould. Hall singled to lead off the inning, and junior Ryder Miconi followed with a double to the gap in right center, putting runners on second and third. Large brought home Hall with a sacrifice fly to left field, cutting the margin to 2-1. Gould launched a shot over the right field fence for his fifth home run of the year to put the Tribe on top, 3-2.
 
W&M cashed in back-to-back Towson errors to extend its lead in the bottom of the second. Hall single home freshman Zach Pearson, who reached on an error and advance to second on another, to push the home team a 4-2 lead.
 
The Tigers pulled even in the fourth via the long ball. Henze racked up his second double of the game, hitting one into the left field corner, before Cuinn Mullins tied the game with a two-run homer to the left field. It was Mullins' second home run of the season.
 
Three of the first four Tribe batters singled to load the bases in the home half of the fourth. Miconi put W&M back in front with a sac fly to right field plating Wrighte and giving the Tribe a 5-4 advantage.
 
Towson loaded the bases in the top of the seventh thanks to a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. Policelli singled off the glove of third baseman Zach Pearson to bring home both Mullins and Richie Palacios, putting the Tigers in front, 6-5.  
 
The Tribe tied it in the bottom of the inning thanks to wild pitch. Sophomore Cullen Large and Gould led off the inning with walks. Large moved over to third on a fly ball from senior Josh Smith and scored on a wild pitch to tie the contest at six.
 
After sophomore Rob White pitched out of a second and third, two-out situation in the top of the eight, W&M used some small ball to push across a run in the bottom of the frame. Wrighte singled through the left side to lead off the inning and moved up to second on Pearson's sacrifice bunt. Hall gave W&M a 7-6 lead, singling through the right side to bring home Wrighte.
 
With one out top of the ninth, the Tigers loaded the bases again thanks to back-to-back singles from Palacios and Colin Gimblet along with a Policelli walk. Gaouette forced Towson DH Chris Henze to fly out to shallow center field for the second out of the inning. Unfortunatley for W&M, Gallo pushed the tying run across with an infield single to the hole at short, scoring Palacios.

Palacios, Henze and Gallo each had two hits for the Tigers, while Policelli, Gallo and Mullins registered a pair of RBI. Towson starter Kevin Ross worked just 1.1 inning, allowing three earned runs on three hits. Matt Golczewski worked five innings of relief for the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out two.
 
The Tribe continues its Saturday doubleheader with the Tigers at 7:40 p.m.