NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The seventh-ranked and second-seeded Salisbury University baseball team was undone by a six-run eighth inning against the Mary Washington Eagles, falling 10-5 in the opening round of the 2024 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Tournament, hosted by Christopher Newport University on Friday at Captains Park.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles landed the opening blow in the top of the third inning. George Rizzo tagged a one-out single and eventually moved to second on a bad pickoff. Ryan Schwarz singled Rizzo home with two outs, then after another base hit by Noah Roots, Ty Lowe banged a two-run double to center to put UMW in the driver's seat, 3-0.
• The Sea Gulls got one of those runs back in the bottom of the third. Dom Frigiola reached on an error and Max Ehrhardt walked, then the two runners moved up on a wild pitch. Tim Petrucelli eventually lifted a sac fly into left, scoring Frigiola to get SU within 3-1.
• In the fourth, Tommy Martinez led off with a single and took second on a sac bunt. Two batters later Rizzo rolled an RBI base hit up the middle to make it 4-1 Eagles.
• Ehrhardt and Andrew Kell led off the fifth with back-to-back doubles to produce a run. Two batters later, Alex Craig stepped in and delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to center, then two batters after that Zach Geesaman banged a triple off the wall in center to score Craig and knot it up at 4-4.
• After Trent Waire was plunked to extend the inning, SU pushed the go-ahead unearned run across the plate as UMW misplayed an Adam Tommer grounder to first, allowing Geesaman to score to make it 5-4 Sea Gulls.
• Undeterred, the Eagles erupted for six runs in the eighth to seize control back. With men on the corners and no out, Martinez ripped an RBI double to tie the game, then after a groundout Burke Steifman dropped an RBI single into center to bring in the go-ahead run, and Rizzo plated another with a sac fly to left to make it 7-5.
• Jacob Christenbury singled with two out to put men on first and third, then Schwarz doubled both runners home and in turn scored on a base knock by Roots, giving UMW a 10-5 advantage it would hold to the final out.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Andrew Kell finished 1-for-4 with a double, run, and RBI to pace the Sea Gulls.
• Zach Geesaman went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI triple, while Trent Waire also tripled.
• Tim Petrucelli and Alex Craig each drove in a run.
• Shawn Rosemond (6-1) was saddled with his first defeat of the season, giving up three runs on three hits without recording an out in the eighth.
• Aidan Brinsfield pitched three innings in a no decision, surrendering three runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts on 48 pitches.

MARY WASHINGTON GAME NOTES

• Ryan Schwarz paced the Eagles by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and three RBIs.
• Ty Lowe went 2-for-5 with a double, run, and two RBIs.
• George Rizzo finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored from the nine-hole.
• Tommy Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and two runs.
• Connor Hassan (2-2) shut down the Sea Gulls over four scoreless innings to finish the game, scattering two hits and three walks while striking out four.
• Gavin Riley lasted five innings in his start, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and three punchouts on 85 pitches.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will find out their postseason fate during the NCAA Division III Selection Show, which will be streamed live on Monday at 12 p.m. on NCAA.com.
• SU is seeking to qualify for its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament and 29th bid overall.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 199 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.