WILLIAMSBURG, Va. ? In a back-and-forth game that featured seven pitchers and three lead changes, William & Mary walked away with a 10-9 victory over VMI in non-conference baseball action at Plumeri Park on Tuesday evening.
Freshman Jay McCarthy (2-3) took the win for the Tribe, working three innings while surrendering just an unearned run on one hit. Keydet reliever Matt Edwards (3-4) took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits through four innings.
Three VMI pitchers combined to walk a season-high nine in the contest, while also hitting another four batsmen. Each team also committed three errors, leading to multiple unearned runs for both sides.
“I thought that our position players came ready to play tonight,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “When you give up 13 free bases, you're not supposed to be in games. We've got to pitch better and our youngsters didn't tonight.”
VMI junior Jordan Ballard paced the Keydet offense with a pair of home runs, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Sam Roberts was 2-for-3 with two walks and Jacob Morley went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Tadd Bower drove home three runs for the Tribe, while Derrick Osteen and Tyler Stampone each plated a pair for the hosts.
VMI jumped on top in the top of the first, scoring four runs with two outs against starter Cole Shain. A solo home run by Ballard put the Keydets on the scoreboard before Graham Sullivan's base knock three batters later doubled the margin. Justin Topping followed with a two-run double, giving Keydet starter Andrew Deal a 4-0 advantage before he toed the rubber.
The Tribe answered with a four-run rally of their own in the bottom of the frame. A bases-loaded, full-count double by Tadd Bower cleared the bases, and after Deal walked a third batter in the inning, he was lifted in favor of reliever Michael Devine. Sean Aiken followed with a run-scoring single to tie the margin before Devine escaped the rally with a strikeout.
After Shain retired the Keydets in order in the second, the Tribe moved ahead in the bottom half of the inning. Derrick Osteen scored on a two-out passed ball, giving W&M a 5-4 advantage despite having just one hit in the contest. VMI threatened in the top of the third, but Shain recovered with a pair of strikeouts to leave a pair of runners stranded in scoring position.
The Tribe added to their advantage in the fourth, plating an unearned run on Tyler Stampone's base knock into left-center field.
VMI regained the advantage in the fifth, thanks to another four-run rally. Tanner Biagini led off the frame with a solo home run, and following a four-pitch walk and a base knock, Shain was lifted in favor of reliever Jay McCarthy. The freshman right-hander retired the first two batters that he faced and induced what looked to be an inning-ending groundout, but an error by shortstop Lanny Stanfield allowed both runners to score and extended the frame. Jacob Morley followed with an RBI single, moving the Keydets on top, 8-6.
That lead was not safe for long, as the Tribe fought back in the bottom of the frame. After the first two batters reached base off of Devine, Matt Edwards came on in relief. Following a sacrifice bunt, James Williamson plated a run with a base knock, before a bases-loaded hit batsman knotted the game at eight. Tyler Stampone then moved the Tribe in front, 9-8, with a groundout to second base to cap the inning's scoring. The Tribe tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, when Osteen dropped down a squeeze bunt, scoring Jeff Jones.
VMI made things interesting in the ninth, when Ballard led off the frame with his second round-tripper of the contest, forcing W&M closer Logan Billbrough into the contest with the margin just a single run, 10-9. The right-hander walked the first batter he faced, but rebounded to retire the following three batters to notch his third save of the season.
The Keydets return to action on Wednesday evening, playing host to JMU at Gray-Minor Stadium, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
