The Cavalier Daily
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Baseball hammers William & Mary 17-2

No. 1 Cavs improve to 3-1 on the season

The Virginia baseball team steamrolled William & Mary Tuesday evening in Williamsburg, Va., 17-2, for its third straight win since a loss to Kentucky on opening day. The No. 1 Cavaliers matched their highest run total from last season while working over the Tribe pitchers for 19 hits in 43 at-bats.

Virginia (3-1) jumped on William & Mary (2-2) early, scoring six runs in the second inning to chase Tribe junior righty Bryson Kauhaahaa. Junior outfielder Brandon Downes led off the frame with a walk, and junior infielder Kenny Towns drove him in with a sacrifice fly one out later. After the Cavaliers loaded the bases with two outs, junior first baseman Mike Papi broke the game open with a grand slam.

The Cavaliers exploded for nine more runs in the sixth inning, when they sent 14 men to the plate and rapped off nine hits, including Downes’ two-run blast to center field and sophomore John La Prise’s pinch-hit RBI double. Papi singled home two more runs for his fifth and sixth RBI of the game.

Senior right-hander Artie Lewicki earned the win for Virginia, going five strong while allowing two runs and four hits. Highly-touted freshman Connor Jones threw two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, and junior utility Nick Howard tossed the ninth in relief of senior righty Whit Mayberry.

The game was originally slated for Tuesday afternoon in Charlottesville, but was moved to the Tribe’s Plumeri Park because of poor field conditions at Davenport Field. Virginia will instead play its home opener this weekend in a three-game series against East Carolina.

—compiled by Matthew Morris

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