YORK, Pa. – The Salisbury University baseball team dropped game one, 15-2, but battled back to take a late lead and win game two in a doubleheader against Capital Athletic Conference opponent York College of Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon at Jaquet Field.

Game 1: York 15, Salisbury 2

The Spartans (15-14-1, 8-7 CAC) jumped out to a big lead in game one and never looked back. Starting Pitcher Austin Heenan (7-3) struggled to find his command early, surrendering three hits, two walks, and hitting two batters in a six-run first inning for York. He eventually settled in, allowing only three hits over the next four innings, but ran into trouble again in the sixth.

The Sea Gulls (25-8, 13-3 CAC) were never able to get back into the game as the offense struggled to put the ball into play. Jack Decker drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning to get Salisbury on the scoreboard. A solo home run by Scott Ardoin to lead off the sixth inning would add one more run for the maroon and gold, but that would be all, as the team took the 15-2 loss.

The loss snaps a 14-game win streak for the Sea Gulls, their longest since 2015 when the team rallied off 18 straight.

Game 2: Salisbury 5, York 2

Game two proved to be a much tighter contest than the first, as each offense traded runs through the first eight innings.

This time, it was the Sea Gulls who managed to get into the run column first. Justin Meekins led off the game with a walk and would eventually advance to third base on a fielding error in the following at-bat. A groundout by Jack Barry to the right side of the infield allowed Meekins to finish his trip around the bases.

In the fifth inning with the game tied 1-1, Salisbury would pull ahead once again. With two outs, Matt Padeway took a pitch and sent it into the left center field gap for a double. Meekens then drove his teammate home on a single to right center field for the 2-1 lead.

After a solo home run in the seventh inning tied it for the Spartans, the Sea Gulls headed into the ninth inning looking to go ahead. Jay Perry drew a walk with one out before Will Gutekunst put runners in scoring position with a double down the right field line. Simon Palenchar then stepped to the plate as the pinch hitter and looked to have hit into a fielder's choice, but a Spartans fielding error allowed Perry to cross the plate for the late 3-2 lead. A Padeway Single and a Meekins double would tack on two more runs in the inning, and the Sea Gulls would hold the lead for the 5-2 victory.

Wes Whitlock pitched a strong game, allowing only two runs and striking out five batters over 6 and 2/3 innings, but took a no-decision after being relieved with the game still tied. Connor Reeves (10-2) earned the win in relief, surrendering no hits through the final 2 and 1/3 innings.

The team returns home on Sunday, April 22 to take on Johns Hopkins University. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.