SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 8 ranked Salisbury
University baseball team suffered its first home loss of the season
and second loss in as many games to Capital Athletic Conference
opponent York (Pa.) College, 3-1, Sunday at home as the Sea Gulls
committed five errors which led to all three of the Spartan
runs.
Salisbury (22-5, 5-3 CAC) found themselves in trouble early when
senior pitcher Bryan Brainer (6-2) gave up a lead
off hit to York's Jeff Young and later allowed him to reach third
base on a fielding error. Brainer got the Sea Gulls out of the jam
with back-to-back strikeouts and then forced a groundout to end the
inning.
In the bottom of the first inning, York (20-5, 6-1 CAC) allowed
Sea Gull runners to reach first and second base because of two
fielding errors of its own but a Spartan double play ended the
Salisbury threat as York got out of the inning without allowing a
run.
The Spartans plated the game's first runs in the fifth inning as
Salisbury catcher Tyler Riley committed a pair of
errors on a play, the first a passed ball and then a throwing error
over third base that scored York's first run. Brainer then threw
consecutive wild pitches to score the second Spartan runner.
York threatened again in the top of the sixth inning with
runners on first and second base and nobody out. SU sophomore
Adam Keeling came in to relieve Brainer and forced
two straight groundouts and a struck out one to get out of the
inning unharmed.
Salisbury's greatest scoring opportunity came in the bottom of
the eighth inning when they trailed 3-0. With one out and the bases
loaded senior Andrew Jensen hit a sacrifice fly to
right field scoring junior Brian Camper but senior
Alex Vitale struck out swinging to end the SU
rally.
York (Pa.) pitcher Tim Frisch recorded a win against Salisbury
in the April 4th meeting of the two teams and today closed out the
game recording his second save of the season while fellow Spartan
Chris Brower improved his record to 4-2.
Salisbury will return to action when they host CAC opponent
University of Mary Washington, Wednesday April 11, at 3 p.m. in the
first game of a home-and-home series with the Eagles.