UMBC

WILLIAMSBURG, VA (February 21, 2003)— William and Mary junior Chris Ray (Tampa, FL) struck out nine batters and allowed only two hits in eight innings of work, and the Tribe offense pounded out 14 hits as the College opened a three-game series with a 7-0 shutout of UMBC this afternoon at Plumeri Park. The Tribe improves to 4-2 on the year, while the Retrievers fall to 0-1.

Ray struck out six of the first nine batters he faced in the outing, and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning to pick up his first win of the year. UMBC starter Zach Clark was charged with the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits in four innings of work.

After scoring on an unearned run in the second inning in which UMBC catcher Scott Kosmicky’s throw back to Clark after a pitch allowed Tim Jones (Virginia Beach, VA) to score the game’s first run, the College tacked on three more in the third.

Mitch Walk (Staunton, VA) led off with a double to left center, and scored on Michael Brown’s (Richmond, VA) single to left. After Brown stole second base, Jones beat out an infield single to put runners at first and third with two outs. C.J. Stimson (Crystal Beach, FL) cleared the bases with a double to left to up the lead to 4-0.

The College added another run in the fifth to stretch the lead to 5-0, and added two insurance runs in the seventh, which began with a Jones single up the middle. After a wild pitch advanced Jones to second, John Lentz (Manheim, PA) blasted a double to right center, scoring Jones to increase the lead to 6-0. Lentz moved to third on Kevin Healy’s (Vienna, VA) fly out to left, and scored on Walk’s second double of the day to widen the lead to 7-0.

Meanwhile, Ray cruised along, as he retired the side in order four times, and departed after the eighth to make way for sophomore Bill Bray (Virginia Beach, VA), who worked a scoreless ninth in his first action of the season to seal the College’s first shutout win of 2003 with the 7-0 triumph.