FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Salisbury University baseball team took to the road for its first away Capital Athletic Conference series this season. The Sea Gulls battled the University of Mary Washington defeating the Eagles 7-1 in game one and beating them again 19-5 in game two.  

Game One: Salisbury 7, Mary Washington 1

The Sea Gulls (13-5, 6-0 CAC) jumped out to a lead right away plating two runs in the top of the first inning. Kyle Canavan reached base safely and advanced to third after two errors by the Eagles (9-8, 2-4 CAC) giving Pete Grasso the go ahead run 90 feet from home. Grasso delivered with a single to center field to make it 1-0 in favor of the maroon and gold. Jack Barry plated Grasso later in the inning to stretch the advantage to two.

After Mary Washington pulled within one in the third, Salisbury scored three runs between the fourth and fifth inning. Scott Ardoin scored in the fourth to extend the lead back to two 3-1. Then in the fifth Grasso picked up his second RBI of the day knocking a single to center to plate Justin Meekins, who led off the inning with a walk, to stretch the advantage to three. Barry doubled later in the inning scoring Grasso, building the lead to 5-1.

That was all the insurance Jeff Oster needed as he was dominant throughout the afternoon. Oster turned a complete game performance allowing just two hits, one run, and issuing one walk. He struck out nine batters overall facing just 30 throughout the game. In seven of the nine innings Oster forced the Eagles offense to go three up and three down including the ninth in which he forced two groundouts and recorded his ninth strikeout of the afternoon on the final out of the game.

Offensively Grasso led the maroon and gold going 4-for-4, his second consecutive game with a perfect performance at the plate, totaling two RBI and three runs scored. Barry finished the game one going 2-for-4 with two RBI as well.

Game Two:  Salisbury 19, Mary Washington 5  

Salisbury continued its winning ways in game two of the doubleheader kicking the offense into gear tallying its second highest run output of the season. The Sea Gulls turned out 15 hits, 19 runs, and combined for 16 RBI to sweep the series against the Eagles.

The Gulls jumped out to an early lead once again going up 5-0 in the first two innings of play. Simon Palenchar, who turned a fantastic day at the plate for Salisbury, got things started with a two-run RBI single in the top of the first scoring Barry and Tom LaBriola to give the Sea Gulls a 2-0.

Barry extended the advantage to five in the top half of the second when he knocked a two-run RBI single to center to score both Canavan and Meekins.

The Eagles battled back and cut the Salisbury lead to just three in the third inning but saw that deficit change with one swing of the bat just half an inning later.

With the bases loaded and one out Palenchar stepped to the plate and blew the game wide open launching a grand slam to right field extending the Sea Gulls' lead to 10-2.

After plating one run in the sixth inning Salisbury scored another eight runs combined in the eighth and ninth innings stretching the lead all the way to 19-2. Leading 14-2 Robbie Jones lifted an RBI single to right field scoring Dillon Waters. Later in the inning Jake Terry put an exclamation point on the offensive outburst belting a three-run RBI double to center field to clear the bases.

Overall, 11 different Sea Gulls recorded hits with three players tallying multiple hits in the game. Barry led the offense in game two with a 3-for-4 performance from the plate with three RBI and scoring two runs. Palenchar finished his day going 2-for-4 with a grand slam, five RBI, and one scored.

Micah Wells picked up his third win of the season going six innings pitched allowing seven hits, two runs, and two walks while striking out seven of the 27 batters he faced. Connor Reeves, Ryan Gough, and Tyler Hickey each totaled an inning of work combining for two hits, three runs, and a strikeout to complete the pitching staff's afternoon.

Salisbury returns to the friendly confines of the SU Baseball Field tomorrow Sunday, March 19 when it hosts DeSales University in an out-of-conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.