The non-conference, Senior Day victory won’t affect GW’s chances of reaching the playoffs, but marked the team’s 30th win of the season and saw sophomore Eddie Muhl pick up his NCAA-leading 17th save on the year, which also set the program record for career saves at 18.
“We’re still in the middle of rebuilding this team, make no doubt about it, but 30 wins is a milestone for any program,” head coach Gregg Ritchie said. “You hit that 30-mark and it’s kind of in a different echelon.”
GW (30-20) reached the 30-win plateau for the first time in a decade and 12th time in program history Friday, but William and Mary (22-28) would not let it happen easily.
Junior starting pitcher Shane Kemp (3-2) received a rude awakening from the day’s first batter, giving up a lead-off double to right center on just his fourth pitch.
After the Tribe scored one run in the top of the first, sophomore Joey Bartosic responded with a lead-off hit of his own in the next frame, and later advanced to third on an error while stealing second. Sophomore Bobby Campbell flied out to right field to bring Bartosic home and tie the game.
Kemp continued to play with fire in the second by walking three batters, but escaping the inning after giving up one run and leaving three stranded.
Freshman catcher Brandon Chapman doubled and would later score to knot the game at two in the bottom of the second off an RBI single from sophomore Kevin Mahala. Ritchie applauded his team’s resiliency after the game, and explained how impressed he’s been with Chapman and the rest of his unseasoned team all year.
“There aren’t many teams out there that get 30 wins when you throw eight guys out on the field who are freshmen and sophomores. And your catcher’s a freshman, that’s one of the toughest things,” he said. “[Catchers] really run a lot of stuff so hats off to Chapman for doing that, and all the young guys.”
Senior Ryan Xepoleas, who was honored alongside fellow fourth-years Xavier Parkmond, Craig LeJeune and Brookes Townsend in a pregame ceremony, scored off an RBI single from freshman Mark Osis and another William and Mary error in the bottom of the second. GW would tack on a fourth run in the frame to take a 4-2 lead into the third.
Ritchie replaced Kemp with junior Randy Dalrymple in between innings. The 6-foot-5-inch reliever who now owns a 0.47 ERA on the season, threw three hitless innings before being relieved by freshman Tyler Swiggart, who also tossed two frames without allowing a hit.
“Dalrymple has really pitched well in pinches, he’s sucked up innings, no bigger than the innings he showed today and Swiggart as well. We still keep shooting ourselves in the foot by hitting batters or getting two outs and walking the guy, but if we don’t have those two guys come out and do what they did, the game doesn’t turn out that way,” Ritchie said.
Swiggart would be charged with one run in the top of the eighth after freshman Robbie Metz gave up a hit in 0.1 innings pitched, but kept the Tribe at bay, maintaining a narrow 4-3 lead.
A solo-homer to right field by sophomore Andrew Selby gave Muhl and the Colonials some breathing room in the bottom of the eighth. Despite giving up one run in the top of the ninth, the record-breaking right-hander sealed the win for his team with a strikeout in his first appearance since a pivotal 6-3 loss to Saint Louis last Sunday.
“There’s one thing about Eddie, which makes him who he is and why he broke all of those records, is that those [losses] typically don’t bother Eddie,” Ritchie said. “It’s a presence that you look for…and it’s a big part of why this team is resilient and why those other guys like Swiggart and Dalrymple come out confident and ready to do their job.”
While the team wrapped up its Atlantic 10 schedule last week, GW’s postseason fate will now be decided after the conclusion of a handful of conference games this weekend. The top 7 teams will advance to the A-10 Championship, held on May 20-23 at the Colonials’ home diamond Tucker Field.
