SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 6 Salisbury University
baseball team extended its nation's best 26-game winning streak
Friday afternoon as they edged LaGrange College, 9-8, in a hard
fought contest. Freshman Kyle Judson (2-0)
preserved the win for the Gulls as he held the high powered
LaGrange offense, averaging 11.1 runs per game, in check yielding
just one run over the final 4 and 2/3 innings.
The difference in the game proved to be pitching, especially
walks. Sea Gull pitchers had great command all day long and
collectively did not issue a walk. Panther pitchers struggled with
location for most of the afternoon and issued seven walks, three of
which ended up crossing the plate.
Salisbury (26-1) sent junior right-hander Jeff
Feigl to the mound to start the game but he lasted just an
inning and a third allowing four earned runs on five hits.
LaGrange (17-12) starter junior Cody Belt (4-3) didn't have much
success either and took the loss as he allowed nine runs (eight
earned) over 4 and 1/3 innings.
The Panthers opened up the scoring in the top of the first when
senior Seth Tucker sent a Feigl offering over the right field fence
for a solo home run. The Sea Gulls responded in the bottom half as
they pushed four runs across the plate sparked by freshman
Andrew Miller's (1-for-2, two RBIs) sixth home run
of the season, a two-run shot to center field.
LC loaded the bases in the second with no outs and delivered as
sophomore Trey Walker and senior Michael Sims had RBI singles
followed by a sacrifice fly from senior Jose Navarro to even the
score at 4-4.
The Sea Gulls were able to manufacture two runs in the second
and third innings due to lead off doubles by freshman Will
Evans (1-for-4, two runs) and senior Mark
Bostwick (2-for-4, one RBI) to regain the lead. The
Panthers would just not go away though as Navarro scored on an RBI
single by Tucker in the fourth and then drove in two more with a
single to center in the fifth as LaGrange now led 7-6.
Senior Tyler Riley (1-for-3, two RBIs) put the
Sea Gulls back on top for good as he blasted a two-run home run in
the bottom of the fifth inning to the opposite field. Sophomore
Mike Celenza (1-for-3, two RBIs) drew a
bases-loaded walk to give Salisbury a 9-7 advantage.
That would be all the runs Salisbury would need as Judson closed
the door on the Panthers. Judson struck out eight of the 17 batters
he faced which included striking out Sims, who was an All-American
last year, twice and is batting .465 this season.
Judson came in to relieve sophomore J.D.
Polcari who minimized the damage in the middle innings and
kept Salisbury in the game. Polcari tossed three innings as he gave
up three runs (one earned) and stuck out one.
Although Judson preserved the winning streak another streak came
to a close. Junior Randy Boyle's impressive
26-game hitting streak, longest in the nation, came to end Friday
as he was unable to get a hit going 0-for-4 in the game with a
walk. With the walk Boyle retained his streak of at least reaching
base in all 27 games this season.
LaGrange, from the state of Georgia, wrapped up its Spring Break
trip where the Panthers went 3-1. The Panthers swept a doubleheader
from North Carolina Wesleyan and defeated Virginia Wesleyan.
The maroon and gold will put their streak back on the line on
and look to stay unbeaten in the Capital Athletic Conference as
they will travel to St. Mary's City, Md., to take on conference
opponent St. Mary's College in a doubleheader on Sunday, April 6.
