SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 13 Salisbury University baseball team picked up a 12-0 win in its home opener, on a seasonally warm but windy Wednesday afternoon at the SU Baseball Field.

Junior Brett Collacchi started his season on a strong note, going 6 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on four hits. The Bear, Del., native struck out seven while walking two Marlin hitters to pick up his first win of the season.

Salisbury (2-0) got on the board in the second inning, starting with junior Austin Barefoot getting hit by a pitch. Freshman Pete Grasso sent a line drive down the third base line that the third baseman got a glove on but was unable to handle. The pair moved up a base on a passed ball and scored on a line drive up the middle by junior Bobby Sanzone for a 2-0 Sea Gull lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Sea Gulls put together a two-out rally to plate their third run. After getting the first two batters of the inning, Virginia Wesleyan (0-4) pitcher Reid Hoffler hit junior Jordan Gowe with a pitch. Barefoot drew a walk, setting up runners on first and second for Grasso, who lined a single through the left side to score Gowe for a 3-0 lead.

Collacchi got plenty of help from his defense in the contest. In the fourth inning, after a leadoff walk, Barefoot cut down the runner trying to steal second. In the fifth, senior Ken O'Neill made a diving stop at third, going towards the line, and made a strong throw to record the first out of that inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, Barefoot reached base on an error by the second baseman. Pete Grasso followed with a walk, with Barefoot advancing to third when the ball squirted passed the catcher, who nonchalantly gathered it. Following a Marlin pitching change and a Grasso stolen base, senior Johnny Schiotis lined a single to right centerfield, plating both runners for a 5-0 lead. Sanzone was up next, hitting a comebacker that the pitcher threw into centerfield, putting Schiotis on third.

Still in the fifth, the Sea Gulls pushed across their sixth run when Sanzone took off for second, drawing the throw. When the catcher released the ball, Schiotis took off for home, making it 6-0.

Collacchi gave up a leadoff single to right field in the seventh, his first hit allowed since the second inning. He induced a 6-4-3 double play to erase the runner to finish his afternoon. Junior Ryan Belanger came on in relief, going two-thirds of an inning, while not allowing a hit and striking out one.

In the bottom of the seventh, Grasso lead off with a double to right center. Schiotis reached base after getting hit by a pitch but was erased off the basepaths by a fielders choice off the bat of Sanzone, with Grasso moving to third. Sanzone moved to second when pinch hitter Tyler Illian was hit by the first pitch he faced. Following a lengthy at-bat, junior Kyle Hayman grounded a double down the right field line for a two-RBI double and an 8-0 Sea Gull lead.

Salisbury would add another two runs in the seventh for a 10-0 lead.

In the top of the eighth, Head Coach Doug Fleetwood went to the bullpen for the second time, bringing in Sanzone. Sanzone would finish the eighth inning, with junior Kyle Hamby finishing off the Marlins in the ninth.

Salisbury would cap its scoring with another pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Grasso finished the contest 3-for-3, while scoring three runs and drawing two walks. Sanzone led the Sea Gulls with three RBIs, with Hayman and Schiotis knocking in a pair.

The Sea Gulls will next be in action this Saturday, Feb. 22 against No. 10 State University of New York at Cortland. The Red Dragons are at the SU Baseball Field for a two-day, two-game set. Originally, the two teams were set to play on Saturday at noon and Sunday at 1 p.m. The starting times for those two games have been switched, and now Saturday's game will start at 1 p.m.