WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – A walk-off RBI single by junior Nick Butts lifted the William & Mary baseball team to a 3-2 rubber match win on Sunday afternoon. The Tribe (8-13) overcame a late one-run deficit after scoring in the eighth and ninth inning to edge the Bucs (10-6).
 
The Green and Gold took an early lead behind a two-out run in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Patrick Ryan chopped a leadoff single to the shortstop, before a grounder bumped him to second base. Following the second out, junior Owen Socher belted an RBI single to right field for a 1-0 advantage.
 
Nonetheless, ETSU responded quickly with a one-run frame in the top of the third. Cade Gilbert led off with a double and advanced to third base on a fly out to center field. Ben Jackson then knocked a RBI single to left field to even up the contest, 1-all.
 
Both offenses would struggle to score until the Buccaneers sparked a two-out rally in the top of the eighth. Aaron Maher started it off with a single to right field, and Christian Bailey followed up with a RBI double to right center, granting ETSU a 2-1 edge.
 
Regardless, the Green and Gold manufactured two unanswered runs to come away with the victory. Junior Hunter Smith knotted the score up at 2-all by launching a two-out solo shot to left field. The Tribe then scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth after sophomore Jamie Sara allowed a leadoff walk, but retired the next four batters in the top half of the inning.
 
In leading off, Socher reached on a catcher's interference, before a Zach Pearson sacrifice bunt placed him in scoring position. Butts then came in as a pinch hitter and provided the heroics that sealed the game.
 
Tribe Standouts
Rookie Jacob Haney continued to show tremendous growth after logging a season-best seven innings, fanning five batters and allowing just one run (earned) on five hits. Sara's scoreless frame with a strikeout was also key as he kept the contest even.
 
On the offensive end, Smith and Ryan paced the effort with two hits apiece. Butts, Socher and Smith were also all responsible for an RBI each.
 
Inside the Numbers
- Haney generated a quartet of 123 innings and had to face just 27 batters.
- Both teams finished with a .308 batting average with two outs.
- The Green and Gold hit .400 (2-for-5) with runners in scoring position, while holding the Bucs to a .100 (1-for-10) rate.
- ETSU posted three extra base hits, all of them doubles, and the Tribe managed to record just one.
- Sara (2-2) received the win as he tossed the final inning when W&M took the lead.
- Drew Korzybski (2-2) was dealt the loss after hurling the last 2/3 of an inning and surrendering the walk-off single. 
 
Notes
The Tribe garnered its third walk-off victory of the season – the first two occurred in extra innings against Big South foes High Point (March 7) and Radford (March 9)...In addition, all of the Green and Gold's walk-off wins have occurred at home…Today's final score tallied W&M's 12^th game that ended in a one-run decision…The Tribe brings its home record back to .500 at 7-7…W&M also concluded its four-game homestand with a 3-1 mark…Sara earned his first pair of 2018 wins this weekend (Friday, Sunday)…Smith recorded his third home run of the season and 10^th of his career…Smith also notched his sixth multi-hit performance, which leads the team…Senior Charlie Fletcher made his second appearance of the weekend for the 86^th of his career and needs just 11 more to smash the program record…W&M narrowed the all-time series history against ETSU to 3-5.
 
Up Next
The Tribe will visit George Washington on Tuesday, March 20 at 3:30 pm, before returning to Plumeri Park to host in-state rival George Mason on Wednesday, March 21 a 6 pm.