Five-Run Ninth Inning Lifts Tribe Past Towson, 14-9

04/27/08 5:30PM

TOWSON, Md. - The William and Mary baseball team broke open a 9-9 tie with five runs in the top of the ninth inning to earn a 14-9 victory at Towson in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.

By taking the series at TU, the Tribe improves to 32-13 overall and 15-8 in conference play. With nine games still remaining on its regular-season slate, the Tribe has already equaled the third-most wins in school history and needs just six more victories to break the program’s record. W&M has won 16 of its last 19 games.

The top seven players in the Tribe’s lineup all registered at least two hits against the Tigers. Junior Ben Guez had a big afternoon for W&M, going 3-for-6 with three RBI, three runs scored, a double and two stolen bases. Senior Tim Park went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while junior Rob Nickle also homered and went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Junior Mike Sheridan posted a 2-for-5 effort with two RBI and three runs scored, while senior Paul Juliano went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Senior Greg Maliniak and junior Tyler Stampone also registered multi-hit efforts.

Senior RHP Pat Kantakevich (4-2) earned the victory in relief, working 3.1 innings with just one earned run allowed.

The Tribe scored 46 runs in its series against Towson and posted a team batting average of .411 (51-of-124).

The Tribe took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Guez singled up the middle and stole second. Sheridan then plated Guez with a double off the right center field fence, while Park followed with a two-run blast to center.

W&M put four more runs across, all coming with two outs, in the second inning. Juliano got things stated with a single through the left side, and Stampone drove him in with a double. Guez followed with a RBI single to right, which brought Jon Dupski in for starting pitcher Duane Herr. After Guez stole second, Sheridan plated him with a single to right. A single by Park through the left side brought in the fourth run of the frame.

The College extended its lead to 9-0 with two more runs in the third inning. Nickle led off the frame with a solo home run to left center. Junior Jeff Jones followed with a triple to left, and junior James Williamson plated him with a sacrifice fly to left.

While W&M held Towson scoreless through the first five innings, the Tigers rallied back with eight runs in the sixth. Matt Collins led off the frame with a double. Two batters later Greg Furmanek registered a RBI double, and Steve Yarsinsky followed with a two-run home run to left center. Gary Helmick later drew a two-out walk, and Nick Natoli singled through the left side to put two runners aboard. After Kevin Collins plated Helmick with a single up the middle, sophomore LHP Tyler Truxell entered the game for starting pitcher Jeremy Neustifter. Brian Conley then hit a three-run blast over the left field fence, while Jason Stifler later finished off the eight-run inning with a RBI single.

TU evened the score at 9-9 with a run in the eighth inning. With senior Kantakevich on the mound in relief, Matt Collins recorded a one-out single through the left side. After moving into scoring position on a groundout by Stifler, Collins scored on Furmanek’s RBI single to right.

With Josh Squatrito on in relief, Nickle got things started with a double to left. Pinch hitter Lanny Stanfield then reached on a bunt single to put runners on the corners. After Juliano was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Guez drove in a pair of go-ahead runs with a two-out double off the right field fence. Sheridan drew an intentional walk to load the bases again, and three more runs came across when Park reached on an error by TU’s left fielder.

The Tribe will return to action when it hosts Longwood for a doubleheader next Saturday at Plumeri Park.

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