Box Score
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Host William & Mary strung together a trio of three-run innings and got three runs batted in from catcher Devin White en route to a 9-4 win over Norfolk State at a rain-soaked Plumeri Park on Wednesday evening.
The Tribe (14-14) scored three times in the first, third and eighth innings to outlast the Spartans (8-16). It was the Spartans, though, who struck first. John Lynch and John Rasberry drew consecutive one-out walks from W&M starter Matt Wainman in the top of the first. Lynch stole second and third bases before scoring on a fielder's choice grounder by Brandon Hairston.
The lead would be short-lived as W&M got its first four batters on base in the bottom of the first. Ryan Lindemuth and Derrick Osteen coaxed back-to-back walks to start the game against NSU starter Justin Bhatti. A botched sacrifice bunt by Stephen Arcure allowed Lindemuth to score. After a pair of strikeouts, White hit a two-run single to give W&M a 3-1 lead.
The Tribe added three more in the third on four hits. White hit an RBI single and Derek Lowe a two-run single to extend the lead to 6-1.
The Spartans got within 6-3 as Chris Joyce hit run-scoring singles in the sixth and eighth innings. But the Tribe scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to add to their cushion. Ryan Brown knocked in two with a single and Jackson Shaver added a run-scoring single of his own to push the Tribe lead to 9-3.
The Spartans scored their final run on a Brandon Hairston RBI single in the ninth.
Wainman (1-1) got the win for W&M, allowing just one hit and one run while striking out eight in five innings. Bhatti (0-4) took the loss despite striking out the side in the first. He allowed three runs, all of them unearned. One highlight for the NSU pitching staff was a career-high 3.2 scoreless innings of relief by freshman Chase Kyriacou, which allowed NSU to get back into the game. Kyriacou gave up just one hit and fanned three.
Joyce went 2-for-5 for NSU. He and Hairston each drove in two runs.
The Spartans return to MEAC play this Saturday and Sunday with a three-game set at Coppin State.
