BALTIMORE - Last year the Salisbury University
baseball team had its season end to the hands of Johns Hopkins
University in the NCAA South Regional Final in Danville, Va. SU
fell behind early as the Blue Jays had a huge first inning and went
onto the Division III World Series. That loss taught Salisbury a
lot of lessons and on Tuesday the fourth-ranked Sea Gulls turned
the tables on Johns Hopkins on the road. SU jumped out early and
clobbered the Jays, 24-11, in a game that lasted nearly four hours.
Sophomore Andrew Miller (4-for-6) had a career
game as the SU catcher blasted three home runs, drove in five runs,
scored five times and added two stolen bases. Miller almost
completed the home run cycle as he had a two-run homer in the
second inning, a three-run shot in the seventh and a solo home run
in the ninth. He now has nine home runs on the season. The two
stolen bases give Miller 26 swipes this season and going back to
last season he is a perfect 30-for-30 on the base paths.
Miller wasn't the only Sea Gull to take a Blue Jay pitcher deep
as freshman Bill Morton (4-for-5, three runs, five
RBIs) hit a three-run home run in the four-run first inning.
Sophomore shortstop Will Evans (3-for-5, three
runs, five RBIs) had a two-run home run in the sixth inning for the
maroon and gold. The five home runs give Salisbury 50 for the
season.
The Sea Gulls (35-6) scored a run in every inning except the
third inning as Johns Hopkins (22-14) used eight different pitchers
in the loss. Blue Jay starting pitcher Marco Simmons (3-3) took the
loss as he was lifted in the second inning with only one out. All
eight pitchers surrendered at least two runs and two hits as the
Blue Jay staff plunked seven Sea Gull batters.
Junior first baseman Mike Celenza (4-for-4)
reached base in every at-bat as he received two walks and was hit
by the pitch in the second inning. He scored three runs and drove
in two in the win. Junior Ryan Smith returned to
the line-up in the designated hitter position and went 3-for-5 at
the plate and scored three times and had one RBI.
SU starting pitcher Kyle Starr struggled and
was pulled in the bottom of the second inning as he allowed five
runs. Sophomore Dustin Herbert (7-1) entered out
of the bullpen and pitched nearly seven innings for the Gulls where
he allowed six runs and had one strikeout. Freshman Pat
O'Keefe closed out the game in the ninth.
JHU was led offensively by senior first baseman Ryan Biner
(3-for-5) who had two late home runs and scored and drove in three
runs. Junior shortstop Lee Boyland added four hits, two of which
were doubles, and scored two runs. Left fielder Jesse Sikorski
added four RBIs on a grand slam home run in the second inning.
Salisbury will travel to Chestertown, Md., tomorrow (April 29)
to face Eastern Shore rival Washington (Md.) College in a 3 p.m.
non-conference game. These two rivals were originally scheduled to
play back on March 2 but the game was postponed due to snow.
