WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary scored the first nine runs on Sunday, and the North Carolina A&T baseball team never recovered as the Tribe won the rubber game of the three-game Coastal Athletic Association series 10-5 on Sunday at Plumeri Park.
The Aggies had three players with multiple-hit games but dropped to 19-16 overall and 4-8 against CAA competition. W&M improved to 25-11 overall and 8-4 in league play after Ben Parker went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
W&M got off to a good start against A&T right-handed starter Jake Delisi (L, 3-3). Delisi gave up two hits in the first inning, including Anthony Greco's base hit to center field. But when Lucas Carmichael tried to score off the single, Aggies second baseman Tre Williams threw him out at home plate to keep the game scoreless.
A&T could not keep the Tribe off the scoreboard in the second, however. W&M posted six runs on five hits and was aided by two A&T errors from outfielders, which led to W&M scoring three unearned runs. Parker delivered the biggest blow of the inning, a two-run homer to right field to give the Tribe a 6-0 advantage.
Henry Jackson helped the Tribe add another run with a solo home run in the home third. After the home run, Delisi walked Nate Goranson. Luca Trigiani followed with a double to right to put runners on second and third with no outs. Trigiani's double led to Delisi's departure as junior RHP Angel Ortiz entered the game and got Trey Chrstman to ground out for the first out of the inning.
Josiah Seguin flew out to center for the second out of the inning, but it allowed Goranson to score on the RBI sacrifice fly to give the Tribe an 8-0 lead. Carmichael grounded out to end the inning. Joe Delossantos homered in the fourth to make it nine unanswered runs to open the game.
W&M right-handed starter Nate Knowles (W, 6-0) ended his day after four innings pitched, where he did not give up a hit or a run while striking out six and walking one in 57 pitches. Knowles' replacement, LHP Mark Hindy, opened the fifth and gave up the Tribe's first hit as senior outfielder Michael Logan tripled. After junior infielder Enrique Wood reached on a fielder's choice, senior Devon Rodriguez hit into a force play that eliminated Wood from the base paths but allowed Logan to score for the Aggies first run of the afternoon.
The Tribe escaped the inning without further damage and increased its lead to 10-1 with an RBI double from Delossant in the sixth inning. The Aggies tried to fight back but ran out of innings and outs. Wood opened the seventh with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a groundout. Freshman outfielder Nick Allen secured his first career RBI with a single to left field to score Wood.
A&T added another run in the eighth inning. With two outs, Wood doubled down the left field line to score Logan, who reached on a fielder's choice. Wood went to third on a wild pitch, and Rodriguez walked to put Aggies on the corners. But a strikeout got the Tribe out of the inning.
Senior outfielder TJ Ash continued the A&T rally by leading off the ninth inning with a home run before Tatsunori Negishi singled to left field. RHP Owen Pierce retired the next two Aggies before Negishi advanced to third on a wild pitch. Junior catcher Canyon Brown brought him home with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 10-5. W&M took the series, however, after Logan popped out to first.
Negishi, Brown and Wood had two hits apiece. A&T will play at the High Point Rockers home facility, Truist Point, on Tuesday against the High Point University Panthers. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
