SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 11 Salisbury University baseball team helped to force a three-way tie atop the Capital Athletic Conference standings on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Marymount (Va.) University 4-1 at the SU Baseball Field.

Junior Pete Grasso earned his fourth win of the season in the game, pitching a dominant 6 1/3 innings. He gave up only three hits and one run, while notching five strikeouts in the game. Grasso has now only allowed the one run in 15 innings pitch in CAC action this season.

Grasso also led the team offensive with two RBI in the contest, helping himself with the only runs he would need in the first inning. After senior Alex Lipman singled on a line drive through the left side, and classmate Jake Dmiterchik walked, Grasso came up and drove a two-out, two-run double into left field, giving Salisbury a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Saints were only able to scratch out two hits in the first two innings, and Grasso buckled down on the mound from there, holding Marymount hitless from the third through the sixth.

Salisbury tacked on another run in the bottom of the third, after loading the bases with the help of a Marymount error and a Grasso single. Freshman Jack Barry worked a four-pitch walk to bring home the run for the 3-0 edge.

Marymount got its run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but that is all the Gulls would allow. Senior Connor Shockley came in to pitch the final 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up only one hit to shut down the Saints' offense. He struck out the side in order in the eighth, allowing the Sea Gull offense to come up and add a final insurance run.

Dmiterchik got things going with an infield single, before executing a delayed steal to perfection to move up to second. Sophomore Brad Keith dropped a single into right field, just over the second baseman's head, to score Dmiterchik and push the lead to 4-1.

Shockley closed the game in the ninth to earn his first save of the season and his career.

Grasso went 2-for-4 at the plate in the game, while Dmiterchik led with two runs scored.

Salisbury is now tied with Marymount and Frostburg State University for first in the conference with a 9-4 record, with only five games remaining before the CAC tournament.

The Sea Gulls are next in action on Saturday, April 9, after their game against Virginia Wesleyan College on Thursday, April 7 was canceled. Salisbury will travel to York College of Pennsylvania on Saturday for a conference doubleheader, beginning at 12 p.m.