FERRUM, Va. - The No. 10 Salisbury University baseball team dropped its first game in the NCAA Division III Ferrum regional on Thursday evening as the host school Ferrum University won 5-3. The Sea Gulls committed two costly errors in the field which prolonged two innings for the Panthers when they scored all of their runs.

Salisbury (33-9), the No. 2 seed in the regional, could not muster a comeback as it fell behind early after a four-run third inning for the sixth-seeded Panthers. The Sea Gulls down 5-1 narrowed the lead to two in the top of the seventh inning. Designated hitter Hunter Wessells (2-for-4, RBI) smacked a RBI single to score catcher Pete Callahan. Two batters later senior right fielder Andrew Jensen (2-for-4, double) flied out to right field to score shortstop Brian Camper (2-for-3) from third. SU would get a runner on in the eighth and ninth innings on singles but couldn't plate the runners. In addition to the errors, SU also left nine runners on base and couldn't capitalize on Ferrum's two errors. Senior third baseman Alex Vitale added two hits and a RBI in the loss for SU.

Ferrum (25-16) got its first two runs on a two out throwing error by Salisbury. Ferrum's Matt Gammon (1-for-4, two RBIs) followed with a double that plated two more Panthers to extend the lead to 4-0. The Panthers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Michael Nolte scored on another SU error. Panther second baseman Daniel Heatwole led the squad with three hits in the win.

Junior Ryan Bennick (8-2) went the distance for SU as all five runs were unearned. He allowed 10 hits, walked one and struck out four. Ferrum's Lincoln Garner earned the win for the Panthers.

Salisbury will face Capital Athletic Conference foe York (Pa.) College on Friday morning at 10 a.m. in an elimination game. SU and YCP are no strangers to each other as they have met three times this season. Salisbury dropped the two regular-season meetings to the Spartans, 3-1 each time. The Sea Gulls exacted revenge in the CAC tournament as SU shutout York (Pa.) 6-0 in the semifinal round en route to its second straight conference title. Ferrum will meet top-seed Emory on Friday.