FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - The winning streak
reached 30 consecutive games on Wednesday afternoon for No. 5
Salisbury University as the Sea Gulls won a 5-3 Capital Athletic
Conference baseball game on the road against rival University of
Mary Washington. SU broke open a 1-1 game in the top of the seventh
inning as the Sea Gulls pushed across four runs at Dickinson
Stadium.
Salisbury (30-1, 16-0 CAC) clinched the top-seed in the upcoming
CAC tournament with the win. SU, the CAC regular-season champions,
will host the Eagles (19-8, 12-4 CAC) this Saturday in a
doubleheader at Sea Gull Field. Salisbury will look to become the
first team since the 2005 UMW squad to complete a CAC
regular-season undefeated. The Eagles will be the No. 2 seed
in next week's CAC tournament.
The current winning streak for the Sea Gulls is the longest one
in the nation, all divisions, as SU is within striking distance of
the school record for wins in a season (37 - set in 2004). SU is
off to its best start in program history.
Junior Eric Willey (6-0) earned the win as he
went eight strong innings where he allowed one Eagle run (unearned)
on five hits. He walked two and struck out seven.
Salisbury got on the board in the fourth inning when senior
catcher Tyler Riley singled home fellow senior
Justin Armiger (two runs, RBI). UMW answered with
a run in the bottom half of the fifth as a Will
Evans error at shortstop allowed the Eagles to tie the
game.
SU junior Randy Boyle (2-for-4) singled to lead
off the seventh inning for the maroon and gold. This is the 31st
straight game that Boyle has reached base. He later scored on an
Armiger fielder's choice. Freshman Andrew Miller
tripled home Armiger and senior Mark Bostwick.
Riley's sacrifice fly to center field brought in Miller and
increased Salisbury's lead to 5-1.
Mary Washington made things interesting in the ninth when
designated hitter Jeff Johnson homered off of SU reliever
Jeff Feigl with two outs. The two-run home run by
Johnson cut the Sea Gull lead to two. Freshman pitcher Kyle
Judson recorded the final out for the Sea Gulls.
