GREENVILLE, N.C.- William & Mary dropped a hard-fought 2-1 Opening Day decision at No. 21 ECU Friday afternoon in Greenville. The Tribe received quality pitching as senior Chris Farrell started throwing six scoreless innings. Randy Prosperi would toss a pair of clean innings in relief. Brandon Raquet was responsible for the Tribe's lone run sending a solo shot out in the seventh inning and Matt McDermott reached base four times with three hits and a walk.
Jack Cone and Matt McDermott started the season off with back to back singles, but the Tribe was not able to plate a run in the first. Farrell would retire the first six batters he would face through a smooth two innings.
Cone and McDermott would both reach again in the third, but once again fail to be pushed across. The Pirate would get their first pair of baserunners in the third, but Farrell would get a groundout, flyout, and strikeout to keep the Pirates at bay.
ECU would threaten again with a pair of singles in the fifth. Farrell would get his third strikeout of the game to retire the side and keep the contest scoreless. Both starting pitchers would work a scoreless sixth frame keeping the game knotted at 0-0.
Brandon Raquet would break the tie on the first pitch of the seventh inning as the senior blasted a solo shot over the wall in right-center giving the Tribe a 1-0 lead. Rojo Prarie would relieve Farrell and work a perfect seventh inning striking out a pair on only 13 pitches.
McDermott would walk to reach base for the third time in the ballgame with one out in the eighth. He would swipe second for his first steal of the year but would be stranded to keep the score 1-0. Giles would lead off the bottom of the eighth with a double, and Hoover would single to set Pirates at second and third with no one out. Giles would come home on a Francisco sac fly to tie the game at 1-1. Prarie used his third strikeout of the game and a groundout to limit the damage.
The Tribe would go down in order in the top half of the ninth. Randy Prosperi entered the game for the Tribe and mowed down two Pirates in a perfect inning of relief. Matt Trehub would walk to start the tenth and move to second on a bunt from Ben Greenspon, but the Tribe could not take advantage. Prosperi would once again put down ECU in order sending the game to an eleventh frame.
McDermott led off the 11th with his third hit of the ballgame and swiped his second bag to get the Tribe a man in scoring position, but he would once again be stranded. Junior Jacob Haney would come in to relieve Prosperi for the bottom of the eleventh. A trio of ECU hits would plate the game-winning run as the Pirates took a 2-1 Opening Day win.
The Tribe and the Pirates will be back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. start.
Notes:
Chris Farrell tied a career-high with 6.0 scoreless innings pitched in his first start since 2018. The senior struck out four and walked one in a dominant start.
Matt McDermott had three hits in the ballgame, giving him 99 knocks in his career. The junior also swiped a career-high two bases.
Randy Prosperi was perfect in two innings of relief striking out three and facing the minimum six batters.
