Raquet Helps W&M Rally Past Elon, 5-2
Rob Washburn
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL |
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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 25, 2017) – Freshman Brandon Raquet went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and three RBI’s to lead third-seeded William & Mary to a 5-2 victory over #6 Elon in Game 2 of the 2017 CAA Baseball Championship on Thursday afternoon at Brooks Field.
The Tribe (32-23) advances to play #2 UNCW at 8:30 p.m. tonight, while the Phoenix (24-31) return to the field at 1:45 p.m. to face #5 College of Charleston in an elimination contest.
W&M senior pitcher Daniel Powers overcame a slow start to improve to 6-4 on the season. After giving up two runs on four hits over the first two innings, Powers surrendered just a single over the next five frames and finished with five strikeouts. Reliever Charlie Fletcher tossed a perfect eighth and Nick Brown recorded his league-leading eighth save after a scoreless ninth.
Freshman Kyle Brnovich (6-5), the CAA Rookie of the Year, suffered the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out seven and became only the fifth pitcher in Elon history to top the 100-strikeout mark (103) in a season.
Raquet was one of four Tribe players with multiple hits. Matthew Trehub went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored, Patrick Ryan was 2-for-4 and Owen Socher was 2-for-5. Second baseman Joe Satterfield led Elon offensively, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Elon plated runs in each of the first two innings to grab an early 2-0 lead. In the first, shortstop Ryan Ogren singled, advanced to second on a walk and scored on Will Nance’s two-out double down the left-field line. A similar pattern occurred in the second as Ty Adcock singled, moved into scoring position after a walk and came home on Satterfield’s RBI single to center.
W&M put its leadoff hitter aboard in each of the first four innings, but had nothing to show for it as Elon’s defense came up big behind Brnovich. Phoenix centerfielder Zach Evers threw runners out at the plate in the first and third and the Tribe grounded into double plays in the second and fourth.
The Tribe was able to break through with three runs in the fifth. Ryan singled and Kyle Wrighte walked to open the frame, and both moved into scoring position on Trehub’s sacrifice bunt. Raquet followed with a game-tying two-run double down the right-field line. Raquet, who advanced to third on Socher’s single, scored what proved to be the winning run on a Phoenix throwing error after being caught in a rundown.
W&M tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth as Raquet’s triple into the right-field corner plated Wrighte and Trehub.