Wilmington, N.C. – The William and Mary baseball team struggled to overcome an early deficit as UNCW feasted on the long ball to defeat the Tribe, 11-1, during the Colonial Athletic Association opener on Friday evening. With the setback, W&M falls to 12-9 overall and 0-1 in the CAA, while the Seahawks move to 10-10, 1-0 in league play.
 
Sophomore Hunter Smith paced the Tribe's offense with two hits, an RBI and a homer.
 
The Seahawks set the tone early in the bottom of the first inning. On the team's first at bat, Casey Golden hit a solo shot to left field for a 1-0 advantage. It was the only run of the frame, but the homer served as the first of four total jacks.
 
In the fifth inning, UNCW continued to use the long ball to stretch its lead. The Seahawks registered three straight bombs as Nick Feight belted a three-run homer, while Mason Berne and Ryan Jeffers notched back-to-back solo blasts, giving the Seahawks a 6-0 lead.
 
UNCW pushed across another run on a grounder in the fourth inning, and then did more damage in the fifth. The Seahawks scored four runs on four hits and one error to extend their advantage to 11-0.
 
Nonetheless, the Tribe prevented the shutout in the top of the sixth inning with a home run of its own. After the first out, Smith smashed a solo homer to center field to create an 11-1 affair. The bomb was the second of the season for Smith and the third in his career.
 
 Senior Nick Brown (2-2) was charged with the loss. He allowed 11 runs on nine hits and recorded two strikeouts through four innings of work. Alex Royalty (3-1) earned the win after going six innings with seven strikeouts and one run on four hits.
 
The three-game series continues tomorrow, Saturday, March 25. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.