SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 21 Salisbury University baseball team returned home to face Eastern Shore rival Washington College on Monday afternoon. The Sea Gulls scored early and often to come away with a convincing 17-3 victory over the Shoremen.

Salisbury opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, posting four runs on six hits. Jack Barry led off the inning with a single before snagging second base on a clean steal. After a Jimmy Adkins single pushed the runner to third, Colby Dean was able to drive Barry home with a single up the middle for the first run of the game. Justin Meekins and Scott Ardoin each followed with RBI singles of their own. A balk by opposing pitcher Nick Brauer pushed across the final run of the inning for the 4-0 lead.

The Sea Gulls came alive again in the bottom of the fourth inning, tacking on an additional six runs and putting the game out of reach early. A Jay Perry walk with one out loaded the bases for Brad Haas, who made the best of his at-bat by driving a single to the left side to push home Matt Padeway. Jack Decker was then able to draw a walk with the bases loaded for run number two. The Shoremen were almost able to get out of the inning with limited damage, but a throwing error by pitcher Dom Giandonato led to two unearned runs to keep the inning alive. In the next at-bat, Dean knocked a 2-RBI double to center field. The team batted around in the inning to open the lead to 10-1.

A handful of reserve players got a chance to put up some runs of their own with the game already out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning. With no outs and two men already on base, pinch hitter Simon Palenchar took his first pitch and sent it over the right field fence for a three-run homerun. A fielder's choice and two more throwing errors by the Shoremen would tack on three more runs before the visitors were able to return to their dugout.

Salisbury collected 20 hits in the game, the most since a 25-10 win over Wesley in the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals last season. Dean and Palenchar led the way with three RBI apiece. Connor Reeves earned the win in relief, pitching two innings, striking out one, and allowing one run on two hits.

The team returns to action on Wednesday, March 7 when it hosts Keystone College. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.