Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17, William and Mary baseball (14-6) swept Quinnipiac (5-11) 3-0 in a home series at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va.
Graduate student pitcher Alex Markus started on the mound for the Tribe on Friday, holding the visitors scoreless through three innings and giving up just one run in the fourth. The Green and Gold scored its first two runs in the bottom of the first, and added seven more in the bottom of the second. Freshman infielder Josiah Seguin recorded his first home run of his collegiate career to build William and Mary’s momentum. Later in the same inning, he came back up and singled through the right side to push in the Tribe’s ninth run after a fielding error by the Bobcats. William and Mary made it 10-0 after the bottom of the third, thanks to a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Jerry Barnes III to score graduate student outfielder Ben Parker.
Quinnipiac got on the board in the fourth inning and scored one more run in the sixth, but the Tribe came back alive in the seventh to score three more runs. In the top of the eighth, Quinnipiac had its best offensive effort of the day, scoring five runs, including a three RBI homer from senior catcher/outfielder Keegan O’Connor. It was not enough to bridge the deficit, however, and the Green and Gold recorded its first win of the weekend, 13-7.
Saturday’s matchup was an even more impressive performance by William and Mary, led by junior pitcher Carter Lovasz and graduate student pitcher Zack Potts. Together, Lovasz and Potts allowed just three hits, only one of which was earned. Potts threw for six innings — a team-high — and allowed just five hits while putting away seven strikeouts. Lovasz came in for the save, his first of the year, but the 13th in his career, placing him third in program history for all-time career saves.
While Potts and Lovasz held it down on the mound, the Tribe offense was equally as dominant. A six-run fourth inning was led again by Seguin. Junior outfielder Lucas Carmichael, junior outfielder Christian Rush, Barnes and fifth-year outfielder Joe Delossantos all contributed to a massive 15-run scoring effort for the Tribe. Quinnipiac was able to score just three runs that game, so William and Mary clinched the series with a 12-run victory.
The Tribe started off strong during Sunday’s game, scoring three runs quickly in the bottom of the first before senior catcher Nate Goranson homered to center field to tally three more. The Bobcats scored three in the third and two more in the fourth, putting them within one run of the Tribe. Barnes responded in the bottom of the fourth with a huge two-run double to regain the Green and Gold’s lead, 9-6.
William and Mary scored one more in the sixth, thanks to a Quinnipiac fielding error. In the seventh, graduate student infielder/outfielder Henry Jackson singled to score Parker. Graduate student Luca Trigiani hit a three-run homer, sealing the Tribe’s victory and sweeping the series. Junior pitcher Nate Knowles and sophomore pitchers Mark Hindy and Owen Pierce split time evenly on the mound. Pierce threw a sensational last three innings, allowing no hits or runs and notching five strikeouts. Pierce was credited with the save, and Knowles was attributed with the win. Saturday’s matchup ended with a final score of 14-6.
The Tribe will travel to Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk, Va. to take on Norfolk State (7-11, 4-2 MEAC) Wednesday, March 20.