SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury University baseball team picked up a 6-5 win, in 12 innings, over St. Mary's (Md.) College on Saturday morning in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament and was one big hit from potentially moving on to championship Sunday when the team's second game of the day, against Frostburg State University, was suspended.
Salisbury was mounting a comeback, having trailed the second-seeded Bobcats 6-1 at one point. The home team came up with four runs in the fifth inning to get within a run, and remained within striking distance.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dustin Herbert's second home run of the season, a one-out solo shot, cut the Frostburg State lead to 8-7. After a flyout to give the top-seeded Sea Gulls their second out, pinch hitter Devon Quaglietta was hit by a pitch before sophomore Nick Gentry was called upon to pinch run. Sophomore Matt Beck walked as a strike of lightning hit in the area and the game was delayed.
After a 30-minute delay, the game was suspended and will be picked up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday, April 17, beginning at 10 a.m.
With a victory, Salisbury would advance to the CAC championship game; the Sea Gulls would then await the winner from a meeting between Frostburg State and the University of Mary Washington. A loss to Frostburg State, when the game is resumed, would end Salisbury's run in the CAC tournament.
Salisbury advanced to its game against Frostburg State with a 12-inning win against St. Mary's. Another late-inning home run was the driving force to the win.
With the game knotted at 5-5 in the top of the 12th, freshman Joey Jones belted an opposite-field home run to right-center field, the first round-tripper of his career.
The 6-5 lead was protected by senior pitcher Drew Baldwin; the Winston-Salem, N.C., native finished up a stellar outing of 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief as he picked up his second win of the season.
Jones was one of three Sea Gulls to finish with three hits in the game against St. Mary's, going 3-for-5 with his home run and a triple while driving in three runs. Junior catcher Tyler Bennett and freshman Bill Root matched Jones with three hits, while Root had a home run as well.
