SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 9 Salisbury University baseball team scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning to break open a 3-3 game and defeated Virginia Wesleyan College in the season opener for both teams at the SU Baseball Field on Wednesday.

Sophomore shortstop Ken O'Neill went 2-for-4 with a double, three runs batted in and one run scored to lead SU's nine-hit attack. Sophomore left fielder Joey Jones chipped in with two hits and two runs for the Sea Gulls, who earned the 1,000th win in the 49-year history of the program.

Pinch hitter Hank Adams started the seventh inning with a single and Kyle Hayman, Adams' pinch runner, moved to third on a wild pitch and throwing error by Virginia Wesleyan catcher Nathan Chamberlin. Then, with one out, Hayman scored on another wild pitch by Alex Tucci (0-1) for a 4-3 lead.

Bill Root followed with a walk and O'Neill was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for Tyler Bennett. Bennett hit into a fielder's choice, moving to second on throwing error by third baseman Josh Miller. Root scored on the play to push the lead to 5-3.

Tucci was relieved by Justin Payne, who surrendered an RBI single to Quinn Griffith that scored O'Neill for the final run of the frame.

O'Neill added an RBI single to left field, scoring Matt Beck to make it 7-3 in the eighth.

VWC (0-1) got one back in the ninth inning off of Bill Morton, but got no closer.

Jeff Hoffman (1-0) earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out one and allowing one walk.

Salisbury (1-0) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a Root RBI single and O'Neill RBI groundout. Virginia Wesleyan rallied for two in the top of the fifth but O'Neill's two-out double plated Jones to put SU back on top, 3-2.

VWC's Pike Brynildsen responded with a run-scoring double of his own to knot the game at 3-3 in the sixth.

Brynildsen finished 3-for-5 to pace the Marlins.

SU is back in action on Saturday, traveling to Gallaudet University for a doubleheader in Riverdale, Md. First pitch is slated for noon.