SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 1 Salisbury University baseball team pounded out 19 hits en route to a 15-1 victory over University of Mary Washington in a Capital Athletic Conference game on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Field. SU had five players register at least three hits and eight players collect two hits as the Sea Gulls collected season-highs in both hits (15) and RBIs (15).

Salisbury (12-1, 3-1 CAC) was led by junior catcher Ryan Smith, who was 3-for-4 with game-highs in both runs (three) and RBIs (three). Smith connected on his third home run of the season with a two-run shot in the third inning. SU was paced by the combined efforts of junior first baseman Mike Celenza and sophomore shortstop Will Evans (one double), who both went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. SU had two other Gulls notch three hits in senior second baseman Randy Boyle (two runs) and senior center fielder Jordan Crystal (one run, two RBIs).

Senior right-handed pitcher Eric Willey improved to 4-0 on the year as he gave up only one earned run in eight innings of work. The All-American lowered his ERA to 2.14 as he limited the Eagles to just eight hits and fanned five batters on the afternoon. Freshman Bill Morton came on to close out the game in the ninth as he retired the side in order.

The Sea Gulls did not wait long to score as in the bottom of the first Boyle singled with one out and scored on a single to left field. Mary Washington (3-4, 0-4 CAC) would register its only run of the afternoon in the second inning when Alex Howell led off the inning with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Jackson Clement to the tie the game 1-1. Salisbury would go on to plate 14 unanswered runs.

SU matched the Eagles with a single run of its own in the bottom half of the second. Crystal and junior designated hitter Chad Wolfe (one run, one RBI) led off the inning with consecutive singles and were both moved over on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore third baseman Brian Green (one RBI). With one out, Evans singled home Crystal to make the score 2-1. Mary Washington starter Andrew Cox (2-2) used a strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning.

SU added two runs in the third. Celenza led off with a single and immediately came home when Smith connected on a two-run shot over the left center fence. The Sea Gulls extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth when Evans led off with a single and scored on a Celenza groundout.

The Salisbury offense was held at bay for next two innings but so was the Eagle offense as Willey continued to shut down UMW the rest of the game. Willey scattered four hits over his final four innings pitched. SU tacked on two more runs in the seventh to make the score, 8-1. Smith and senior right fielder Cody Collins (one run, one RBI) reached on an error to begin the inning. The pair moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Crystal. Smith scored on an RBI groundout by Wolfe. With two outs, Collins came home on an RBI-single by Green.

The Sea Gulls blew the game wide open in the eighth with an eight-run inning. The maroon and gold had their first six batters reach base safely in the inning as they batted around in the frame. Celenza had two RBI-singles in the inning while Evans cracked a two-run double, Crystal smacked a two-run single. Miller and Collins both contributed with RBI hits of their own in the inning. SU was aided by three Eagle errors.

Mary Washington had seven players record hits in the contest. The Eagles were led by David Noack's 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Clement notched the only RBI of the game for UMW while Howell scored the only run. Cox was saddled with the loss after he gave up seven runs (five earned) in seven innings pitched. The right-hander was tagged for 12 hits as he struck out four Sea Gulls hitters.

The Sea Gulls and Eagles will finish off their three-game set tomorrow (Sunday, March 8) with a doubleheader in Fredericksburg, Va., which begins at 1 p.m.