SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 11 Salisbury University baseball team picked up its fifth and sixth wins of the season with a doubleheader sweep over State University of New York at New Paltz, Sunday at the SU Baseball Field. The Sea Gulls took game one 7-1 and game two 8-2.

In game one, Salisbury (6-2) got off to a fast start. In the first, freshman Pete Grasso was hit by a pitch with one out and later stole second base. Two batters later, with two outs, junior Bobby Sanzone hit a fly ball to left field that fell just beyond the outstretched dive of the left fielder for an RBI double and a 1-0 Sea Gull lead.

The Hawks would match Salisbury's run in the second, getting a run on a wild pitch.

The Sea Gulls would take the lead in the third, starting the inning with three-consecutive doubles, by Grasso, senior Quinn Griffith and Sanzone, with Griffith and Sanzone picking up RBIs. The Sanzone double would drive starter Chris Pyz from the contest, with the Sea Gulls leading 3-1. Four batters later, junior Austin Barefoot hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to extend the Sea Gull lead to 4-1.

New Paltz (1-2) got its first hit in the fourth off junior Brett Collacchi, a bouncer up the middle just past the outstretched arm of senior second baseman Johnny Schiotis. Collacchi got out of the inning unscathed, in part by a diving stop on a ball hit up the middle by Grasso, who fired to first for the third out.

Salisbury would tack on three runs in the fourth, with a two-run single by junior Jordan Gowe followed by an RBI double by senior Ken O'Neill for a 7-1 SU lead.

Collacchi worked around a leadoff triple in the fifth to get out the inning unscathed. The Bear, Del., native worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth as well. Collacchi would work a 1-2-3 seventh to finish the complete game. He would allow one run on four hits in the contest, striking out five.

In game one, Griffith, Sanzone and Schiotis each had two hits, while Gowe and Sanzone had two RBIs.

In game two, the Hawks had early chances, getting the first two batters on base against sophomore Connor Shockley. The Salisbury, Md., product worked out of the jam, keeping New Paltz off the board.

Salisbury got on the board in bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. With Griffith on first and senior Bill Root on third, Griffith took off for second. The catcher threw through, getting Griffith at second but Root scampered home to score the first run of the game.

The Sea Gulls put up three runs in the second to extend the lead to 4-0. Root lined a bases-loaded single up the middle for an RBI and Grasso took a pitch to the back of the leg with the bases loaded. Griffith followed with an infield single that plated a run.

Salisbury tacked on two runs in the third, with an RBI sacrifice fly by O'Neill and then an RBI double by sophomore Joey Gumpman for a 6-0 lead.

Shockley worked out of jams in the third and fourth innings, keeping the Hawks off the board, but was taken out when he loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs. Junior Dylan Anderson came on in relief, limiting the Hawks to one run, on a groundout, for a 6-1 SU lead.

Salisbury would add two runs in the sixth inning, before the Hawks would push one across in the seventh to end the scoring for the afternoon, at 8-2.  

Gowe, Gumpman and Root each had two hits in the second contest for the Sea Gulls.

The Sea Gulls will be back in action this Wednesday, March 5, taking on Route 13 and Capital Athletic Conference rival Wesley College to open the conference schedule. That contest is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., at the SU Baseball Field.