CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – William & Mary baseball (26-19, 9-9 CAA) fell on the wrong side of a lopsided game at No. 7 North Carolina (35-11, 13-3 ACC) Wednesday night, 19-2, in seven innings.
Early crooked numbers dug the Tribe into a 10-run hole through the first pair of innings, and North Carolina held a 19-0 lead after four. Eleven of the Tar Heels' 19 runs were unearned as four W&M errors allowed the home team to manufacture an unmanageable game.
Lucas Carmichael extended his season-high on-base streak to a dozen games while
Ben Parker increased his team-high hitting streak to six.
Henry Jackson led off the game with a single and
Kevin Francella tallied the third double of his freshman campaign.
Reed Interdonato and
Luke Calveric each made strong appearances out of the bullpen in their pair of innings to hold the score, but the Tribe would not be able to scratch a run across until the final frame.
Parker's hit came in the seventh inning as a part of the Tribe's final rally. He belted a bases-loaded two-out single deep into the right field gap to score a pair. Breaking the shutout,
Anthony Greco and
Jerry Barnes III came around to score.
Noah Hertzler (3),
Alex Markus (2), Interdonato (2) and Calveric (1) combined for eight strikeouts over five innings of relief. The game total brought the team's season tally to 453, overtaking 2017's 446 for fourth-most in a single season, trailing the program-record 475 by just 22 total punchouts.
Interdonato retired the Tar Heels in order in the fifth inning, striking out a pair and posting the Tribe's first scoreless frame of the game. Calveric followed suit, stranding his lone baserunner to hang a second zero for the visitors.
Not going down without a fight, the Tribe loaded the bases to the tune of a trio of pinch hitters in the top of the seventh inning.
Anthony Greco laced a base hit into right field to lead off the inning.
Jerry Barnes III was hit by his team-leading 15
th pitch of the season, a mark which has only been beaten 10 times in program history.
Derek Holmes drew a full-count walk to load the bases for Parker.
Parker broke the shutout as he tallied his 36
th and 37
th RBI on the year, but the Tribe's attempt at a rally would fall flat there.
Hank Lippman was credited with his first career loss as the Tar Heels' early lead was ultimately deciding.
Up Next
The Tribe will continue their CAA schedule in North Carolina, traveling to Elon for a three-game conference series on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5.
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