WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary baseball (26-17, 9-8 CAA) returned to the win column with a dominant showing on the mound from
Zack Potts and
Carter Lovasz, holding No. 24 UNCW (27-16, 13-4 CAA) to just one run to even the series at a game apiece.
Taking game two of the weekend, 4-1, the Tribe snapped its losing skid to the tune of just the fourth conference loss of the Seahawks' season.
UNCW broke into Perfect Game's national top-25 rankings at No. 24 on this week's poll, marking the Tribe's second ranked win of the season, the first coming at No. 6 Duke earlier in the month.
Potts matched his season high 7.0 innings from last weekend while limiting UNCW to just one run. The righty fanned six, allowing five hits and only one walk in the outing.
Lovasz earned his 16
th career save with his fourth of the year, going a pair of scoreless frames to close the game. He allowed just one baserunner, in the eighth inning before sitting the Seahawks down 1-2-3 in the ninth to call game.
For only the fourth time in 2024, UNCW was held to one or fewer runs.
Freshman
Anthony Greco provided the go ahead hit, as his pair of RBI led the Tribe. In addition to two runs, outfielder
Ben Parker recorded a walk for his 38
th of the season, a mark which ties for 12
th most in a single season in program history.
The first inning proved to be the deciding frame as the lone Seahawks run of the contest, a leadoff homer, was answered with a two-out, two-run double from Greco. The Tribe added a pair of runs later in the game, but Potts and Lovasz shut down the Seahawks for the remainder of the contest to hold the first-inning lead.
Following the leadoff run, Potts retired the next three batters. Taking down a pair with strikeouts, he lifted the team's season-total to 427, overtaking 2013's team for the sixth-most in a single season by the Tribe. As he would add four more and Lovasz would fan a pair of his own, the total ticked up to 433.
The Green & Gold saw another milestone marker in the bottom half of the inning, as Parker and Goranson drew a pair of walks to take sole possession of the second-most in a single season.
Luca Trigiani walked in the contest as well, bringing the Tribe's total to 269 on the year, trailing only Head Coach
Mike McRae's 2023 squad (299).
Parker fought off a 2-2 count to reach and Goranson battled through a 10-pitch at bat to claw back from an 0-2 count. With runners on first and second, Greco's first pitch swinging laced a stand-up double into the gap in right field. Scoring the pair, the Tribe took its decisive lead in the first.
Goranson erased a walk in the second inning, hosing Brock Wills out at second base to end the top half of the inning as Potts retired the side in order. He faced the minimum in the next frame as well the Tribe turned a double play and leadoff hitter Jac Croom took a third strike.
Another costly walk for the Seahawks, Trigiani's leadoff base on balls would allow him to come around to score. The shortstop advanced on a UNCW error, a sacrifice bunt from
Corey Adams and crossed the plate on an RBI groundout from
Henry Jackson.
Parker belted a first pitch single to reach in the fifth.
Joe Delossantos followed, belting another single to left, and a failed attempt to field it allowed Parker to conclude the scoring in the contest, extending the Tribe's lead to 4-1.
Dealing four more scoreless frames, Potts brought the Tribe through seven innings before giving way to Lovasz.
The junior made his 13
th relief appearance, notching his fourth save as he slammed the door on the Tribe's victory with a strikeout to end the game.
The Tribe and Seahawks will return to Plumeri Park at 1 p.m. Sunday for the rubber match as W&M fights to reignite its winning streak.
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