SALISBURY, Md. - The top-seed Salisbury
University baseball team fell to third-seed Wesley College, 4-2, on
Friday afternoon at Sea Gull Field in the second round of the
Capital Athletic Conference tournament. This is the first loss for
the Sea Gulls in the double-elimination tournament which will be
held at SU throughout the weekend.
Wesley (23-13-1) held the Sea Gulls, who are ranked No. 2 and
No. 6 in the nation in two different polls, scoreless for six
innings before SU cut the Wolverine lead in half with two runs. SU
(30-5) was only able to muster three hits in the loss as the maroon
and gold left five runners on base.
Wesley jumped on Salisbury junior starting pitcher Kyle
Starr (2-1) for three runs in the top of the first inning.
Starr had a rough inning as he gave up a lead-off walk followed by
three straight hits which gave the Wolverines the early 3-0 lead.
Salisbury was unable to answer through the first six innings where
they were held scoreless on only two hits. The Gull's hits were a
double by junior Mike Celenza (1-for-3, one run)
in the first inning and a single by senior second baseman
Cody Collins (1-for-4) in the third inning.
Salisbury scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The runs were scored with the bases loaded when sophomore
Brad Baylis (one RBI) was hit by a pitch and when
junior catcher Ryan Smith (one run) crossed home
plate on a wild pitch. The comeback came up short, however, as the
Gulls were held scoreless and hitless in the eighth and ninth
innings. Wesley senior Chris Koch picked up his second save of the
season as he pitched a perfect ninth inning.
Despite the rocky first inning, Starr came back to pitch a solid
game. He pitched seven and two-thirds innings as he allowed three
runs on seven hits. Starr struck out seven batters and gave up only
one walk. Freshman Bill Morton pitched the final
inning and one-thirds for Salisbury. Wesley starting pitcher Matt
Faulkner (3-0) picked up the win as he struck out four batters in
over six innings of work.
The Sea Gulls will try to bounce back on tomorrow (Saturday,
April 18) in the third round of the CAC tournament against
second-seed York (Pa.) College at 9 a.m. in an elimination game.
