TOWSON, Md. – The William & Mary baseball team claimed its CAA series with Towson after scoring six unanswered runs to pull away late for an 8-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Schuerholz Park.
 
With the win, the Tribe advances to 25-21 overall and 9-6 in conference play, while the Tigers fall to 16-25, 4-11 in league action.
 
Sophomore Hunter Smith paced the offensive charge as he was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. He finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, a double and his second home run of the series. Freshman Brandon Raquet posted three hits and drove in a run, while junior Cullen Large collected three hits as well.
 
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Wrighte, junior Ryan Hall and sophomore Zach Pearson all tallied two hits each. Wrighte posted a double and triple, while Hall recorded a double and plated a run.
 
A duo of seniors Daniel Powers and Chase Bailey combined to limit the Towson offense to one run on eight hits. Powers captured his fourth win of the season, tossing eight strong innings with four strikeouts and one run on seven hits. Bailey then closed out the contest with just one hit allowed in the final inning.  
 
The Tribe got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second. With one out, Smith singled down the third base line and advanced to second on a throwing error by starting pitcher David Marriggi. Rookie Patrick Ryan followed up with a RBI single up the middle, giving W&M a 1-0 lead.
 
The Green and Gold used a deep shot to tack on another run in the fourth inning. After the first out, Smith sent a solo bomb to left center for a 2-0 W&M advantage.
 
The Tigers used the long ball as well to make it a one-run contest in the bottom of the fifth. Mark Grunberg led off with a ground out to third base, before Richie Palacios hit a solo shot down the right field line. However, Powers retired the side on another grounder to third and a fly out to left field, limiting the damage to just a 2-1 score.
 
The Tribe responded with a two-out three-run rally in the top of the sixth. With one out, senior Charles Ameer singled through the left side and Wrighte doubled down the right field line, setting the table. After Ameer was tagged out at the plate, Wrighte scored on a wild pitch. Raquet then hit a RBI single down the first base line to keep the rally going. Large sent a single down the third base line, before Hall laced a RBI double down the right field line, extending the W&M advantage to 5-1.
 
W&M provided a little more two-out magic in the seventh inning. Wrighte blasted a two-out triple to right center to set Pearson up for a RBI single through left side, putting the Green and Gold ahead 6-1.
 
Smith drove in a couple more runs for the Tribe in the top of the eighth. Hall hit a one-out single to right field, before Miconi drew a walk. A balk moved up both Hall and Miconi, and Smith cleared the bases behind a two-RBI double down the left line, making at an 8-1 affair.
 
Bailey came in for Powers in the bottom of the ninth and retired the first two batter on back-to-back ground outs. Pinch hitter Matt Smith singled on the next at bat, but Bailey managed to get the final out of the game on a foul out to third base.
 
Marriggi was dealt the loss after posting a pair of strikeouts and allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits through 5.1 innings of work.
 
The Tribe return to action next weekend with a home CAA three-game series against the College of Charleston. The set begins on Friday, May 5^th at 6 p.m., continues on Saturday, May 6^th at 4 p.m. and concludes on Sunday, May 7^th at 1 p.m.