WILLIAMSBURG, VA.- Big innings were once again the difference in the game as Hofstra defeated William & Mary 11-8 at Plumeri Park Saturday afternoon. The Pride scored five in the second, and after a furious comeback from the Tribe, Hofstra scored four in the eighth to secure the series win.
 
Tyler Solomon and Max Winters hit back to back solo homer runs in the ninth inning, but the late push was not enough to dig the Tribe out of a late-inning hole. 
 
Tom Mayer was tremendous in relief allowing zero runs in 4.1 innings. Mayer scattered just two hits and a walk over the middle innings and struck out three Hofstra batters. David Hogarth reached base in four plate appearances, had two hits, and scored in the game. 
 
Starter Zach Tsakounis set down Hofstra quickly in the first and would get some help from the offense in the bottom half. Matt Thomas would lead off, ripping a single up the middle and steal second. After advancing on an error, Thomas scored on an infield hit off the bat of Cole Ragone. 
 
The lead would not last long as Hofstra used four singles and a double to score five times in the top of the second. After a one, two, three third from Tsakounis, the Tribe would put a dent into Hofstra's lead in the bottom half of the frame. 
 
Ragone walked and after singles from Hogarth and Jack Cone would score on a fielder's choice from Joe Delossantos. Solomon would walk to load the bases, and Cone would score on a wild pitch. A Pride error scored Delossantos to make it a 5-4 game. 
 
After a couple of shutdown innings from Mayer, the Tribe would take its second lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Hogarth led off with a double to the gap in left center and moved to third on a successful bunt from Cone. Delossantos scored Hogarth with a sac fly and Adam Quintero beat out a single that would score Cone and make it 6-5 Tribe. 
 
The teams exchanged scoreless sixth and seventh frames, but Hofstra would strike in the eighth as Zack Bailey launched a solo shot to left. The Pride would  tack on three more to make it a 9-6 game. Hofstra struck for two more in the ninth on a Ryan Morash homer. 
 
Solomon crushed his third homer of the year in the bottom of the ninth. The first baseman crushed a 3-2 pitch over the wall in dead center, and moments later Winters smashed a solo shot into left. The two teams will conclude the series Sunday afternoon at Plumeri Park.