SALISBURY, Md. - Junior shortstop Brian Camper will never forget his 123rd collegiate plate appearance in a Salisbury University baseball uniform. The shortstop blasted his first-ever collegiate home run here Monday in the bottom of the eighth inning to add some insurance runs for the No. 26 Sea Gulls who defeated No. 27 Rowan University, 7-2.

The Sea Gulls (20-3) avenge last season's NCAA regional loss to the Profs (6-7) where Rowan won 9-5 and later advanced to the regional final. On the mound in that loss for the maroon and gold was Bryan Brainer, who didn't even get out of the first inning as he surrendered five runs on three hits.

Ten months later, Brainer (5-1) took to the mound again against the Profs. This time around the senior left-hander was nearly perfect through the first eight innings of shutout ball. Brainer allowed two runs in the top of the ninth and left two outs shy of a complete game. For the day, Brainer allowed two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out eight Rowan batters to earn the win. Salisbury sophomore reliever Jeff Feigl finished out the game.

Salisbury got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior third baseman Alex Vitale hit his team leading fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to put the Gulls up 2-0. SU tacked on an additional run in the sixth and seventh innings before the Sea Gulls erupted for three in the eighth.

Vitale (2-for-3, two RBIs, two runs) led off the eighth with a double, his ninth of the year. He scored moments later on a Mark Bostwick (2-for-4, two RBIs, one run) hit up the middle. Two outs later Camper (1-for-2, two RBIs, one run) stepped to the plate with Bostwick still on base. Camper, a member of the SU program for three years, sent Rowan reliever Tyler Dempsey's pitch over the pine trees in left field for a two-run homer.

SU senior Andrew Jensen went 3-for-3 and scored twice in the win. Jensen upped his team best batting average to .562. Freshman Mike Celenza (0-for-4) saw his 11-game hit streak end. Salisbury junior Justin Armiger, recently named Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week, had two hits and a run scored.

Rowan starter Joe Cichy (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season as he pitched six innings, allowed three runs on six hits and struck out three SU batters while walking one.

Salisbury returns to action on Wednesday, March 28, to face CAC opponent St. Mary's (Md.) College in the first of a home and home series with the Seahawks. The game starts at 2 p.m.