Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
William & Mary
Army Drops Opener at William & Mary
February 14, 2014 | Baseball
Feb. 14, 2014
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - William & Mary scored runs in five consecutive innings and beat Army, 21-3, Friday afternoon in the season opener for both teams at Plumeri Park.
With game-time temperatures listed at 58 degrees, the Tribe scored the game's first runs in the third inning and went on to the victory.
William & Mary, who played in the NCAA Regionals last season, banged out 20 hits opposite six Army pitchers.
Army registered nine hits in its season opener, including three from Patrick Mescher and two from Connor Love and Jacob Page. Jon Crucitti and Daniel Cortes also registered base hits. Harold Earls scored two runs for Army.
Despite travel woes, Army started strong in the top of the first. Crucitti led off the contest with a single and one out later, stole second. Mescher followed with a single but a strikeout-throw out ended the frame.
William & Mary got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, scoring four times. Ryan Hissey stroked a two-run double, Michael Katz flied out to plate a run and Kevin Casey knocked in a run with a single.
Mescher collected his second hit in the top of the fourth inning but was stranded at third.
The Tribe tacked on three runs in the bottom of the inning, two coming via a home run to left field by Katz and the other on Casey's single.
William & Mary extended its lead when a double play resulted in run and brought in Erik Washburn to pitch in relief of starter Brian Hapeman.
Hapeman threw 4.2 innings, allowed 12 hits and eight earned runs. He walked two.
Army got on the board in the sixth inning. Earls led off the inning and struck out but hustled to first on an error by the catcher. Mescher reached on a fielder's choice, moving Earls to second. Earls took third on a fly out by Mark McCants and scored when Page singled.
William & Mary, the preseason favorite in the Colonial Athletic Association, added four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning against two Army pitchers. Kevin Nutter walked to force in a run, Tim Hoehn scored on a wild pitch and Lindenmuth plated two with a double.
Washburn threw an inning with three walks and a strikeout. Blake Burris allowed one hit, walked two and struck out one in a third of an inning before yielding to Justin French.
William & Mary put the game away in the seventh with nine runs on five hits that took advantage of a pair of Army errors.
The Black Knights continued to battle. Earls singled to open the eighth and Mescher doubled. McCants reached on an error to score McCants and Mescher scored on a ground out.
Army and William & Mary will play game two of the three-game series Saturday at 4 p.m. It is Military Appreciation Day at Plumeri Park.
GAME NOTES: Jon Crucitti opened the 2014 season with a single to left field ... Army and William & Mary met for the first time ... Army departed on Wednesday for the trip to Virginia to avoid bad weather.
