UNCW Defeats W&M, 6-2, In Thursday's Finale
Rob Washburn
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BOX SCORE |
HIGHLIGHTS
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 25, 2017) – Right-hander Alex Royalty allowed just one run over 7.2 innings and was supported by a UNCW offense that belted three home runs as the second-seeded Seahawks topped #3 William & Mary, 6-2, in Game 5 of the CAA Baseball Championship on Thursday night.
UNCW (29-27) faces #4 Delaware in a winner’s bracket game at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The Tribe (32-24) returns at 11 a.m. on Friday to meet #5 College of Charleston in an elimination contest.
Royalty, the 2017 CAA Pitcher of the Year, limited the Tribe to just two singles over the first seven frames before surrendering a solo homer in the eighth. He struck out seven and improved his record to 9-2. Lefty Bodie Sheehan (6-5) suffered the loss for W&M after giving up five runs (four earned) over 5.1 innings.
UNCW jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second. Catcher Ryan Jeffers lined a leadoff double down the right-field line and scored on a two-out fielding error.
The Seahawks used the long ball to extend their advantage. Nick Feight smacked his 15
th homer of the season to left-center in the third and Robbie Thorburn opened the fourth with a shot over the wall in right to make it 3-0.
UNCW doubled its lead in the sixth. Thorburn was hit by a pitch and Kennard McDowell singled before Casey Golden, the CAA Player of the Year, cleared the bases with his league-leading 19
th homer of the year.
W&M got on the board in the eighth on a solo homer to left by Owen Socher and the Tribe added another in the ninth on Matthew Trehub’s RBI single.
Jeffers and Brian Mims each went 2-for-4 for UNCW. For the Tribe, Charles Ameer was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Ryan Hall (1-for-2) reached base three times.
After several weather delays over the past two days, the schedule for Friday at the CAA Baseball Championship is as follows:
Game 6 - #5 College of Charleston vs. #3 William & Mary – 11 a.m.
Game 7 - #4 Delaware vs. #2 UNCW – 2:30 p.m.
Game 8 – Winner of Game 6 vs. #1 Northeastern – 6 p.m.
Game 9 – Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 - 9:30 p.m. (subject to change)