WINCHESTER, Va. – The No. 21-ranked Salisbury University baseball team dropped a narrow extra-inning contest at Shenandoah University on Tuesday afternoon, falling 8-7 in 10 innings.

The Sea Gulls (9-5) took the early lead, scoring four times with two outs in the top half of the first inning, earning a walk and three hits. Senior Brian Green and junior Chris Connor each singled home runs before Matt Beck doubled home a pair for the early 4-0 lead.

The Hornets, ranked No. 6 in the coaches' poll and No. 2 in the writers' poll, got one run in the bottom of the first before Salisbury would increase its lead.

The Gulls pushed the lead to 6-1 in the top of the fourth on a two-run home run by freshman Bill Root, the first round tripper of his collegiate career.

Shenandoah (14-0) would chip away, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Salisbury would answer with a run on a passed ball in the top of the fifth, taking a 7-3 lead.

But the Sea Gulls would have no answer for a run in the bottom of fifth and another in the sixth as the Hornets knocked Salisbury starting pitcher Andrew Levy from the game. The sophomore worked 5 1/3 innings for the Gulls, striking out four.

Shenandoah pushed across two in the bottom of the seventh, off reliever Devin Gardner, to tie the game at seven. The game would go to extra innings where the Hornets got a lead-off home run to end the game in the 10th.

Salisbury senior Drew Baldwin took the loss, despite 2 1/3 strong innings of relief where he allowed just a pair of hits and struck out three.

Beck and junior catcher Tyler Bennett each had a pair of hits for Salisbury, to lead the offensive attack.

Kyle Scallion earned the win for the Hornets, working 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief. Shenandoah catcher Keaton Neeb led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two driven in.

The Sea Gulls will hit the road on the Friday for their next game at Capital Athletic Conference opponent Frostburg State University. The game will be the first of the three-game series, which will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday in Frostburg.