HIGH POINT, N.C. – The William & Mary baseball team cruised to a 6-2 victory, before squeaking out a 4-3 win in a doubleheader sweep at High Point on Saturday. The Tribe (7-1) scored six of its 10 runs in the fifth inning to defeat the Panthers (4-4) twice and improve to a four-game winning streak.
Game One: W&M 6, HPU 2
After scoring the first two runs, the Tribe gained significant separation with a four-run frame in the top of the fifth. W&M loaded the bases to set up senior
Zach Pearson for a two-RBI single through the right side. Junior
Brandon Raquet scored the next run behind a wild pitch before sophomore
Matt McDermott platted Person on a single through the left side.
Junior
Wade Strain and sophomore
Justin Pearson combined for an outstanding pitching effort. Strain (1-0) picked up the win after last six innings with five strikeouts and yielding just two runs (one earned) on four hits. J. Pearson delivered three shutout innings of relief, fanning four and allowing only two hits for a save.
The Panthers' Andrew Gottfried took the loss as he surrendered seven hits and five runs through 4.1 innings.
Game Two: W&M 4, HPU 3
Both starting pitchers dominated the early going, before HPU broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ryan Russell led off with a single before moving up on a grounder. He was platted two outs later by a single from Sam Zayicek. On the next at-bat, Nick Niarchos hit an RBI double for a 2-0 margin.
However, the Tribe answered quickly after scoring three-consecutive runs across the fifth and sixth inning. W&M pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the fifth. With one out, rookie
Phil Conti took a hit by pitch and McDermott singled to right center.
A passed ball advanced both runners before sophomore
David Hogarth launched a sacrifice fly. McDermott scored the game tying run following another passed ball. In the top of the sixth, a solo bomb to left field by Smith granted the Tribe a 3-2 advantage.
The Panthers knotted up the score, 3-all, in the bottom of the seventh. Conner Dunbar singled, swiped second and made it home on two wild pitches. Nonetheless, the Tribe returned the favor after senior
Kyle Wrighte reached on a wild pitch, used a balk and grounder to make it to third, and scored behind a wild pitch.
Redshirt Junior
Chris Farrell shutout HPU in the last two innings to preserve the triumph. Senior
Bodie Sheehan went 5.2 innings and conceded just two runs on eight hits. Sophomore
Randy Prosperi (1-0) fanned two batters and allowed one run and one hit in 1.1 innings, gaining the win. Farrell tossed one-hit ball with four strikeouts to garner the save.
Tribe Standouts
Z. Pearson headlined the offense after finishing the doubleheader with four hits, a double and two RBI. McDermott swung the ball extremely well also following a 5-for-9 effort and a RBI. Hart tallied three hits and a RBI, while rookie
Matt Thomas went 2-for-4 with double. Both of Smith's hits resulted in extra bases as he blasted a double and solo shot. Wrighte and freshman
Jack Cone contributed two hits each.
Notes
The Tribe swept both of its doubleheaders this year … Strain logged a season-high six innings for his first win of 2019 … Game one saw the Tribe collect a season-high 15 hits … J. Pearson and Farrell gained their first career save … Junior
Matthew Trehub made his second start at catcher … Sheehan ties fourth with
Whitt Farr '02 for most career starts (47) in school history … Z. Pearson is riding a five-game hitting streak … Smith blasted his third home run of the year and 19
th in his career … Conti earned his second start of the year … Z. Pearson and Smith have reached safely in every game this year (8) … Prosperi earned the first victory of his career. W&M improves to 7-5 in all-time series history against HPU.
Up Next
The weekend series at High Point will conclude tomorrow with first pitch set for 12 pm. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
