WILLIAMSBURG, VA. - They say good pitching beats good hitting, and that was the case as William & Mary's pitching staff which ranks 14th in the nation in ERA stifled a No. 15 Campbell offense that ranks third in the nation in runs en route to a 3-2 win Tuesday night at Plumeri Park.
Nate Knowles,
Zach Tsakounis, and
Carter Lovasz combined to allow just three hits and strike out 10 Camels in the victory. Knowles picked up win number three on the season and Lovasz earned his third save.
Knowles was effective, throwing 3.0 scoreless innings to start the game. The righty struck out three and did not allow a hit, inducing a pair of double play balls. Tsakounis followed, striking out three and allowing just two hits over the next three frames. Lovasz punched out four and allowed just two base runners over the final third of the game.
The William & Mary scoring all came in the third inning as an RBI hit from
Lucas Carmichael and a two-run single from
Max Winters gave the Tribe an early 3-0 lead.
Luca Danos singled to lead off the inning and stole second before scoring on Carmichael's second single of the game. Carmichael and
Joe Delossantos would score on a Winters single.
Tsakounis worked a clean fourth, but the Camels would get on the board in the fourth as Trenton Harris led off the fifth with a solo homer. A pair of walks and a single would score another run to make it a 3-2 game.
Neither team threatened in the final four frames as Tsakounis worked a one, two, three sixth and Lovasz faced in the minimum in the seventh. Campbell mustered an infield hit off the Tribe reliever in the eighth and Lovasz hit a man in the ninth, but both runners would be stranded as the righty finished both innings with a strikeout.
The win was the Tribe's first over a team ranked in the top-15 since the 2016 season. William & Mary is now 11-5 on the year at Plumeri Park.
Up Next: Next up is a weekend series against St. John's. The Tribe will welcome in the Red Storm for a three-game set beginning Friday night at Plumeri Park.
