FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Salisbury University baseball team defeated Methodist University on Saturday in the first game of a two-game series with the Monarchs. The Sea Gulls picked up the win on the road by a score of 8-4.

Salisbury (24-11) opened with the game's first two runs in the second inning. Junior outfielder Nick Walls drove in the first of his two RBI with a sacrifice fly to drive in junior catcher Tyler Bennett. Freshman infielder John Schiotis would then hit an RBI single, allowing junior infielder Chris Connor to score the Gulls' second run. 

The Monarchs (28-15) scored two runs in their half of the second to tie the game, but it would not last long; Salisbury ripped off four scoring innings in a row, starting in the fourth inning. In the offensive outburst, the Gulls scored six runs to put the game out of reach. Senior outfielder Devon Quaglietta started it off with an RBI double in the fourth to drive in Connor before scoring on a single by freshman outfielder Bill Root.

Two more runs came in the fifth, off of RBI singles by Bennett and Walls. Walls led the team with two RBI on the day. Six other Sea Gulls pitched in with one RBI a piece in the game.

Senior infielder Brian Green drove in his run in the sixth on a single to center field. The scoring burst was capped off mightily in the seventh inning with a home run by Connor, his third long ball of the season. The bomb was the final touch on a career day for Connor, which included three hits, three runs and an RBI in five at-bats. Along with the home run, he also had a double and a single. 

Senior pitcher Chris Greiner picked up the win to improve his record to 8-2 on the year.  He pitched seven innings, allowing only two runs and striking out six.

Salisbury will finish its two-game series with Methodist on Sunday, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.