SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 9
Salisbury University baseball team improved to 5-0 this season with
a Sunday doubleheader sweep of Stevens Institute of Technology in
two non-conference seven-inning games at a cool Sea Gull Field. SU
had to rally in both games as the Ducks (0-2) scored at least one
run in the first inning of both games. SU took the first game 7-2
and rallied from three runs down in the fourth inning for a 7-5
victory in game two.
Senior pitcher Eric Willey (2-0) took the mound
in game one and ran into some early trouble as the Ducks' lead-off
man junior Mark Rasulo started the game with a single and sophomore
Kenneth Meerendonk walked a batter later. Sophomore Denis Ackermann
drove a single through the right side to give Stevens an early 2-0
lead. That was all the offense Stevens would get in the game as
Willey found his grove in the second inning and went on to record
five shutout innings to pick up his second win of the season.
Willey ended his afternoon after six innings as he yielded two runs
on four hits and struck out five. Freshman Bill
Morton threw a scoreless seventh inning in his first
appearance as a Sea Gull.
Senior outfielder Cody Collins (3-for-4, two
runs) got the offense on track in the first inning as he led off
the bottom of the first for the Sea Gulls with a double down the
right-field line. A batter later, junior first baseman Mike
Celenza (1-for-2, two runs, two RBIs) plated Collins on a
double to right center to put SU on the board. Junior catcher
Ryan Smith followed with a single through the left
side of the infield. Senior Jordan Crystal (three
RBIs) created the Sea Gulls' second run of the inning as he hustled
out of the box on a ground ball to second base. Crystal beat out
the back end throw of the double play which allowed Celenza to
score from third to tie the game at 2-2.
Salisbury broke the game open in the fourth as they chased
Stevens starter junior Joe Finora (0-1) after he surrendered a
walk, back-to-back singles and another walk to force in a run with
one out in the inning. Salisbury tacked on four more runs as it
took advantage of two Duck errors to take the 7-2 advantage.
Sophomore pitcher Dustin Herbert struggled to
find his grove in the second game as he started for the Sea Gulls.
Stevens scored five earned runs on seven hits in just over two
innings of work. Junior Chad Wolfe (1-0) bailed
Herbert out in the third inning and closed out the game as he
tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sea Gulls in the game.
The offense woke up in the fourth inning as they rallied to tie
the game at 5-5. Freshman John Martelle came in to relieve starter
freshman John Watters (three innings, four hits, two earned runs
and three strikeouts) in the fourth and struggled with his command
as he issued three straight walks. Martelle then gave up a two-RBI
single to senior second baseman Randy Boyle
(3-for-4, three RBIs). Salisbury knotted the game at five when
Collins scored on a double play.
Salisbury took the lead in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore
shortstop Will Evans (two runs) led off with a
single through the left side of the infield and advanced to second
on a wild pitch. Collins (1-for-3, two runs) smacked his team-high
fourth hit of the afternoon into left field to plate Evans and give
SU a 6-5 lead. Collins advanced a base on back-to-back fly balls
and scored an insurance run for the Sea Gulls on a Celenza fly out
to left field. Wolfe closed out the top of the seventh inning to
pick up his first win of the season as he gave up just three hits
and struck out five batters.
The maroon and gold will continue its five-game home stand on
Wednesday, February 18, as they will host Arcadia College at 2 p.m.
at Sea Gull Field.
