BLACKSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary baseball team tied its season-high 15 hits, but was unable to hold off a late Virginia Tech comeback in a 10-8 ruling on Tuesday evening. The Hokies (21-30) overcame a seven-run deficit to rally past the Tribe (15-36).
 
The Tribe opened the mid-week clash with six hits across three innings to take a 3-0 lead.  W&M was able to strike first in the top of the third. Sophomore Patrick Ryan led off the frame with a single to right field, before classmate Brandon Raquet launched a two-RBI rocket to left center.
 
Following the first out, senior Ryan Hall singled to left field and junior Hunter Smith advanced him 90 feet, courtesy of a double, again to left field. On the next at bat, Junior Colin Lipke chopped an infield single to shortstop to plate Hall.
 
Another two-run jack lifted the Green and Gold to a 5-0 advantage in the fifth inning. Smith set up the multi-RBI opportunity behind a one-out single up the middle. Lipke then crushed the second home run of the game, once again to left center.
 
The Green and Gold built up a 7-0 margin following two runs on three hits in the sixth inning. Regardless, Virginia Tech began its comeback in the bottom of the sixth and would score its 10 runs over the next three innings.
 
After making it a one-run game in the seventh, the Hokies erased the deficit with a three-run frame in the eighth. Virginia Tech used three singles and a double to complete the comeback at 10-8. The Tribe could only muster a walk in the top of the ninth.
 
Tribe Standouts
Junior Zach Pearson collected a team-high three hits and an RBI. Lipke drove in three runs, while Raquet notched two extra base hits off a home run and double. Hall, Smith and Ryan totaled two hits apiece. Ryan and Hall also notched an RBI. Junior Nick Butts hurled five shutout innings of one-hit ball with a strikeout.
 
Notes
Butts recorded a career-high in innings pitched (five)…Raquet tallied his career-best fourth home run...Lipke went yard for the sixth time in 2018…Lipke also matched his season-high in RBI…Hall moved the seventh in Tribe history in all-time hits (237)…Hall also made his 216 career start, which ranks second in school history.
 
Up Next
W&M finishes the 2018 season with a three-game CAA series at Elon. The first two games start at 6 pm on May 17 and 18, before concluding on May 19 at 4 pm.