WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary baseball team had its three-game win streak come to an end after falling to Sacred Heart, 7-3, on Friday evening. The Pioneers (2-2) used a six-run rally to pull away from the Tribe (3-1) in the series opener.
The game began with Sacred Heart pushing across a run on a RBI grounder in the first. The Tribe would tie the score at 1-all in the second inning off a throwing error, plating freshman
Matt Thomas.
Junior
Wade Strain pitched well for W&M, going five strong innings and giving up just one hit and one run while striking out six. He was relieved to start the sixth by freshman
Tristan Snyder. Sophomore
Justin Pearson would also enter the game in the sixth, going 3.2 shutout innings to finish the game for the Tribe.
Sacred Heart sent ten batters to the plate in the top of the sixth, exploding for six runs thanks to three walks, two doubles, a hit-by-pitch, and a three-RBI triple. Senior
Hunter Smith picked up the Tribe's first hit in the bottom half of the inning with a double to left, but would be left stranded at second base to leave the score at 7-1.
W&M tried to rally in the seventh by loading the bases with no outs. A sac-fly from freshman
Jack Cone scored one, but the Tribe stranded two to end the inning. Junior
David Angstadt tacked on an additional run for the Tribe in the eighth with a RBI single into left-center, cutting the score to 7-3, where it would stay following a scoreless ninth inning.
Snyder (1-1) was dealt the loss after surrendering six runs on three hits in 1/3 of an inning. Cooper Thompson (1-0) gained the win as he gave up just one run and one hit in six innings of work.
Tribe Standouts
Smith enjoyed a 2-for-4 outing with a double and run scored. Senior
Zach Pearson and Angstadt chipped in a base hit each. Angstadt and Cone also pushed across a run. J. Pearson tallied four strikeouts and held the Pioneers without an extra base hit. Raquet reach base safely in every at bat via three walks and a hit-by pitch.
Notes
Strain posted a season-high in strikeouts (6) … J. Pearson made his first appearance of the season on the bump … Smith is riding a four-game hitting streak … Smith also notched his first extra base hit of 2019 … Sophomore
David Hogarth made his first start of the year … Raquet's three walks is a season-best … Sacred Heart tied the all-time series at 2-2 with the victory.
Up Next
The three-game series resumes tomorrow (Feb. 23) with first pitch set for 2 pm.
