MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Salisbury University baseball team closed out its regular season Thursday afternoon with a 7-6 loss at Montclair State University.

The Sea Gulls (27-11) took an early lead in the game, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Andy Miller (Schwenksville, Pa.) reached on an error to open the inning before consecutive singles by junior Brad Baylis (Pocomoke, Md.), senior Mike Celenza (Gaithersburg, Md.) and junior Brian Green (Salisbury, Md.) got the scoring started. After a pair of outs were recorded senior Matt O'Keefe (Gaithersburg, Md.) drove home the third run of the game with the fourth single of the inning.

The lead was pushed to 4-0 in the top of the fifth on a Green sacrifice fly that scored Miller.

Senior pitcher Kyle Starr (Lusby, Md.) made the four Salisbury runs hold up through his five innings on the mound, allowing two runs on five hits. The Red Hawks (22-18) scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning and began chipping away, cutting the lead to 4-2.

Junior Dustin Herbert (Huntingtown, Md.) came on in relief of Starr, keeping Montclair in check until the bottom of the eight, when two runs came around to score, tying the game, 4-4.

Salisbury was not done with the offense, plating a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, on a two-run single by senior Chad Wolfe (Thurmont, Md.).

Montclair put together a pair of hits in the bottom of the ninth inning and brought home three runs off Herbert and sophomore Bill Morton (Newark, Del.), who took the loss.

Salisbury will now wait for the release of the NCAA Tournament field, which will be revealed early next week.