SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University softball team will fend for their 13th Capital Athletic Conference championship thanks to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory, which needed extra innings, against University of Mary Washington on Saturday afternoon.

Top-seed Salisbury (26-7) advances to the championship game and will face the winner of Sunday's elimination game against third-seed Mary Washington (24-16) and sixth-seed Villa Julie College, which will be played at 10 a.m. The Mustangs won two elimination games on Saturday as VJC (11-13) sent home fifth-seed Wesley College, 10-0, and second-seed York (Pa.) College, 3-2. The Spartans (23-10) defeated fourth-seed Hood College (15-13) in the first game of the day, 4-0, to eliminate the Blazers. The championship game is slated to begin at Noon with a second game to follow if the Sea Gulls drop the first one in the double-elimination tournament. Salisbury has won 11 CAC championships in a row.

The Sea Gulls managed to overcome a 3-1 deficit and tie the game at three apiece in the 6th inning. SU got off to a sluggish start as the maroon and gold only scored one run in the second inning.

Salisbury's comeback began when sophomore Brittany Lounge walked and junior Stacey Malarkey (2-for-2, three runs) got hit by a pitch to give the Sea Gulls runners at first and second base with one out. The runners advanced an additional base on an Eagle passed ball. Freshman Kristin Lord walked to load the bases. UMW starting pitcher Kirsten Rowell plunked Ali Ritter (1-for-2, two RBI), one of her three SU batters she hit, which scored Lounge and cut the Eagle lead to one, 3-2. Rowell lost the strike zone as she walked her third batter of the game as the free pass was issued to Jen Cahall (two RBI) to plate Malarkey and tie the game at three apiece.

The Eagles received a double from Cathy Hull (2-for-4, one run) in the seventh inning with one out. SU freshman pitcher Kelsey Mills (1-0) shut the door on the Eagle rally as she got Kerri Spaulding (1-for-2, RBI) to fly out and then struck out Ashley Sifer. Salisbury was sent down 1-2-3 in the seventh as the game went to extra innings without the use of the international tiebreaker rule.

In the eighth inning, the Eagles couldn't get the ball out of the infield as several fielder's choice plays turned into two outs for the Gulls. The final out came when SU catcher Lauren Brenneman threw out UMW base runner Chaise Moody at second base, as she attempted to steal the base.

Rowell surrendered her fourth walk of the game to lead off the bottom half of the eighth. Lord stepped to the plate with Malarkey on first base. A passed ball advanced Malarkey to second base. Lord sacrificed Malarkey over to third base to set the stage for Ritter. The sophomore first baseman delivered with a clutch game-winning single down the right field line as Malarkey scored.

Mills earned her first win as a Sea Gull as she pitched six and two-thirds innings in the circle for SU. She allowed one run on four hits and struck out three. Salisbury starting pitcher Stacy Davis didn't make it out of the second inning as UMW jumped out to the early 2-0 lead. Davis allowed two runs (unearned) on two hits as she walked one and struck out one batter.

Sarah Axelson and Kaitlin Petrella each had RBI singles for the University of Mary Washington in the second and fifth innings, respectively.