WILLIAM AND MARY RALLY PAST FURMAN 9-6
Conway, S.C.-- Mike DeCarlo belted a two-run home run in the seventh inning to cap a five run frame for William and Mary which proved to be the difference as the Tribe went on to win 9-6 over Furman on the second day of the Country Inn and Suites Shootout in Conway, S.C.
Heading into the seventh inning, Furman (3-8) had a 6-3 lead, but William and Mary pounded out five hits, scoring five runs off three Paladin relievers to take its first lead of the game. Jon Rymes led off the inning with a double, chasing right handed pitcher Sam Perry from the game. Ryan Hudson took over for Perry and allowed Mitch Walk to single in Rymes to cut the lead to 6-4. Hudson was then relieved by Patrick Arnett, who gave up the second double of the inning to Chris Rahl, putting runners on second and third. After a single and a sacrfice fly, which knotted the game at 6-6, DeCarlo blasted a two-run shot over the left-center field fence to give William and Mary an 8-6 advantage.
The Tribe later tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 9-6, and Bill Bray pitched a pefect ninth inning to seal the victory for William and Mary, picking up his first save in the process.
Furman’s bats were hot to start the game, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two innings of play. Steven Hildreth got the scoring started for the Paladins when he doubled in Matthew Betsill and Nick Mershon. Craig Caudill then made it 3-0 in Furman’s favor when his ground-out plated Hildreth. Andrew Greene finished the inning for the Paladins by driving in A.J. Davidiuk, making it 4-0.
In the third, Mershon extended the Paladins’ lead over the Tribe to 5-0 when he belted his first collegiate home run, a solo shot to left field.
William and Mary (10-1), however, trimmed Furman’s lead over the next couple of frames, scoring a run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth, to make it 5-3.
The Paladins responded in the sixth inning as Davidiuk doubled to centerfield, driving in William Stembridge to push Furman’s lead to 6-3.
Paul Knackstedt (1-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits in five innings of work. Arnett (0-1) took the loss for Furman, giving up three runs on three hits.
Leading the Paladins, who pounded out season high 11 hits on the day, were Davidiuk who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a RBI and a run scored and Mershon who went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored.
Furman returns to action on Wednesday when the Paladins travel to Boiling
Springs to face Gardner-Webb. Game time at Varsity Field is set for 3:00 p.m.