Junior Ramsis Ruiz provided a two-out, bases loaded single to propel the University of Mary Washington baseball team to an 8-7 victory over St. Mary's College on Wednesday at Dickinson Stadium in both teams' Capital Athletic Conference opener. The Eagles improve to 7-3 overall.
The Seahawks jumped ahead with single runs in the third and fourth innings. UMW sped ahead with a five run fifth. After Robert Cross led off with an infield single and was advanced on a sacrifice, Thomas Weaver doubled to plate Cross. After Brian Burns walked, Stephen Johnston singled to score Weaver, and he and Burns advance on an error.
Kyle Bynum singled to score Burns, and then stole second to again put runners at second and third. Christian Hague followed with a sacrifice fly, and Bynum scored on a wild pitch to give UMW a three-run lead.
St. Mary's cut the deficit to 5-4 in the sixth, and nearly tied the score, but the runner trying to score from second missed third base. After a pair of single, SMC tied the score on an error.
The Eagles answered in the bottom of the seventh with two more runs, as Burns led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on an errant throw. Johnston followed with a prouctive out, grounding to first to send Burns to third. Christian Hague singled to left to score Burns with the go ahead run. Bynum would score on another wild pitch to give UMW a 7-5 lead.
St. Mary's tied the score in the ninth with two runs on a pair of hits, but the Eagles got a bases loaded double play to keep the score tied, which is what it remained until the bottom of the 11th.
Johnston led off with a single to right, and with one out, Reed Farrier proivded a clutch single to right to move Johnston into scoring position. Mark Smith walked to load the bases, and, with two outs, Ruiz singled home the winning run.
Burns singled twice and doubled to lead UMW, while Weaver singled and doubled, and Johnston and Hague each had two hits. Senior Paul McClure gained the win in relief, pitching two spotless innings with three strikeouts.
The Eagles will be back in action with a home game on Thursday against second ranked Shenandoah University at 3 p.m.