SALISBURY, Md. - The road
in the 2009 NCAA Division III Baseball Championships just got
longer for the third-ranked Salisbury University baseball team. The
top-seed Sea Gulls lost a 5-4 heartbreaker in 10 innings against
fourth-seed Christopher Newport University on Wednesday afternoon
at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium before a crowd of 375.
Salisbury (38-7) moves to the loser's bracket in the South
Regional where the Sea Gulls will face seventh-seed Johns Hopkins
University on Friday, May 15, at 10 a.m. in an elimination game. If
SU advances past the Blue Jays it will be forced to play the night
game at 7:45 p.m. under the lights on Friday evening.
The Sea Gulls battled back from down 4-0 after CNU (26-11-2)
jumped out early on SU in the first three innings. The three-run
third inning for the Captains chased SU starter Kyle
Judson from the game as the right-hander allowed four runs
(three earned) on six hits, walked two and struck out three.
Sophomore left-hander Dustin Herbert (7-2) came
in out of the bullpen for Salisbury and settled things down for the
maroon and gold.
Salisbury battled back over the next six innings to tie the game
at four and force extra innings.
Junior third baseman Chad Wolfe blasted a solo
home run down the left field line in the fourth inning to get SU on
the scoreboard. The next inning junior catcher Ryan
Smith homered to left field to plate two runs and pull
Salisbury within one, 4-3.
CNU starting pitcher Ian Lenda was done after the fifth inning
as he allowed three runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out
four. The Captain pitchers Mike Giarrizzi (six strikeouts) and
Kevin Moreland (4-0) only allowed one SU run on two hits the final
five innings of play. CNU combined to strike out 14 Salisbury
batters.
SU forced extra innings in the ninth as junior first baseman
Mike Celenza (3-for-3) led off with a double down
the right-field line. Senior Cody Collins followed
with a RBI-single to center field to plate Fred
Kreiger, who pinch ran for Celenza. Collins eventually
stole second base before Moreland struck out Wolfe to end the
inning.
In the 10th, CNU catcher Ben Lenda led off with a single to left
field and advanced to second on a throwing error by SU left fielder
Bill Morton. Ben Lenda moved over on an infield
hit by Shannon Mark. Two batters later, second baseman Parker Neal
singled home Ben Lenda to give CNU the 5-4 lead.
Moreland recorded two quick outs in the bottom half before he
walked sophomore catcher Andrew Miller. Senior
second baseman Randy Boyle (two hits) stepped to
plate for the Sea Gulls as Miller stole second base to record his
28th consecutive stolen base this season and 32nd straight since
last season. Boyle struck out swinging to end the game.
In regional action earlier in the day, fifth-seed Washington
& Jefferson ended eighth-seed Washington & Lee University's
season with an 8-3 defeat. The President's will face the loser of
the night game between second-seed Shenandoah University and
sixth-seed York (Pa.) College at 1:15 p.m. on Friday. The winner
will meet the Captains on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Hopkins sent
third-seed N.C. Wesleyan College home after two games as the Blue
Jays clobbered the Battling Bishops 14-2.
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