Tribe Defeats VCU, 8-4, in Series Opener

04/18/08 11:30PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - With one of the biggest home crowds of the season packing Plumeri Park, the William and Mary baseball team earned an 8-4 victory against Virginia Commonwealth University in the series opener on Friday evening. The Tribe (27-12, 11-7) has now won 11 of its last 13 games and improves its record to 9-1 versus conference teams at Plumeri Park.

Junior Ben Guez extended his hitting streak to 29 games with a 2-for-5 effort, while senior Tim Park pushed his streak to 16 games with a 3-for-5 showing. Senior Greg Maliniak went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored, while classmate Paul Juliano went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Senior LHP Pete Vernon (5-2) pitched 7.1 innings of solid work and earned the win. It was Vernon’s 21st career victory, and the Fort Washington, Pa., native is now tied with Bill Prezioso (1985-88) for the second-most in the program’s history. Vernon finished the evening with eight strikeouts and picked off three base runners, bringing his league-leading total to 15 this season. Senior LHP Sean Grieve worked 1.2 scoreless innings and struck out two batters to record his sixth save of the season. With the save, Grieve and classmate Pat Kantakevich are now tied for fifth on the school’s single-season list.

“It was a great win in an opening game of an important series that I expect to be hard fought,” Head Coach Frank Leoni said. “Pete Vernon did an excellent job of stetting the tone, and Sean Grieve did a great job in shutting them down in the final innings. Our offense did a great job of making the most of what they gave us. We had an awesome crowd tonight, and that helped push us over the top in a close game. We hope to have more big crowds like that in the future.”

VCU looked as if it might get on the scoreboard first in the top of the third, but Justin Wright was thrown out at the plate on an 8-3-2 relay to end the inning. Wright led off the frame with a single down the right field line. With two outs, Richard Gonzalez hit a line drive to right center that Guez nearly snared with a diving catch. Guez then popped up and hit Sheridan, who beat Wright to the plate with a strike to Park.

The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Michael Cheatham recorded a one-out double off the end of his bat to shallow right field. Two batters later, Chris Jackson plated him with a two-out, RBI single up the middle.

W&M answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Park began the frame with a bunt single and advanced to second with a stolen base. Maliniak then drove him in with a single through the left side. After junior Jeff Jones reached on catcher’s interference, classmate Lanny Stanfield moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Junior James Williamson drew a walk to load the bases, and Juliano followed with a triple to deep center. Junior Tyler Stampone brought in the fifth run with a sacrifice fly to right.

The College extended its advantage to 6-1 with a run in the sixth. With one out, Juliano took first when he was hit by a pitch and Stampone drew a walk to put two runners aboard. Guez followed with a RBI single through the left side. While the Tribe loaded the bases when Sheridan was hit by a pitch, Park grounded into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

VCU cut the margin to 6-2 with a run in the top of the seventh inning. After Vernon registered his third pickoff of the night when he caught Kwan Evans at first, Chris Jackson tripled to right center. Eric Curtis followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Jackson.

The Tribe responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning when Maliniak led off the frame with a solo blast over the center field fence.

The Rams scored a pair of runs in the eighth to cut the lead to 7-4. With one out, Carlos Rodriguez drew a walk and Gonzalez followed with a single through the left side. After Ryan Caldwell entered the game as a pinch runner for Rodriguez, both runners came around to score when Vernon’s pickoff attempt at first got away and Sheridan’s throw to the plate went to the backstop. Jared Bolden and Cheatham registered consecutive singles to put runners on the corners, which brought Grieve in out of the bullpen. The senior lefty then ended VCU’s threat when he struck out Evans and got Jackson to ground out to first.

The Green and Gold got a run back in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs, Sheridan took second when VCU’s centerfielder dropped a fly ball. Park followed with a RBI double off the center field fence.

VCU loaded bases and had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Grieve fanned Bolden to end the game.

Due to expected bad weather on Sunday, the teams will close out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. The first game is scheduled for seven innings, and it will be followed by a nine-inning contest.

Box Score