SALISBURY, Md. – Facing a big deficit early, the ninth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team rallied all the way back but couldn't hold a slim lead, dropping a 9-8 decision to the eighth-ranked Salve Regina Seahawks in Game 1 of the Salisbury Super Regional in the 2024 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament on Friday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Seahawks broke through for a big lead over the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, with two on after an error and a single, Matt D'Amato rolled an RBI single through the right side. Tyler Cannoe followed with a three-run home run to left to put SRU ahead 4-0.
• In the second, Christian Homa worked a two-out walk and D'Amato singled. Cannoe followed with a two-run double to make it 6-0 Seahawks.
• The Sea Gulls got a huge chunk back in the third. Andrew Kell, Kyle Brex, and Tim Petrucelli all singled with nobody out, and Danny Sheeler hit a grounder to third that was mishandled, allowing Kell to score. Zach Geesaman then belted a grand slam to right center, making it a one-run game all of a sudden at 6-5.
• Geesaman came up clutch again in the fourth to tie the game. After a two-out walk to Petrucelli and Sheeler single, Geesaman bounced a base hit up the middle to plate Petrucelli and knot it up at 6-6.
• Salisbury made it seven unanswered with some small ball in the top of the fifth. Dylan Winebrenner doubled to lead off and took third on a sac bunt. After a hit by pitch to put men on the corners, Kell dropped down a squeeze bunt to score Winebrenner and give the Sea Gulls a 7-6 lead.
• Salve Regina regrouped in the home fifth, though, as Hunter Yaworski doubled, Wil McCarthy singled, and Brady Smolinski cracked a three-run bomb to dead center, swinging the lead back to the Seahawks, 9-7.
• The pitchers settled in from there but the Sea Gulls scraped one more run across in the eighth. Two walks and a wild pitch put men on second and third, then Sheeler lifted a sac fly into center to get Salisbury within one at 9-8.
• The Sea Gulls rallied again in the ninth as Winebrenner doubled and Adam Tommer walked to put two on with one out, but Seahawk closer Kyle Carozza came in to strike out Max Ehrhardt and got Kell to fly out to right, preserving the victory and moving Salve Regina one win away from the Division III World Series.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Zach Geesaman provided the pop in the Sea Gull lineup, finishing 2-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBIs.
• Danny Sheeler finished 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
• Dylan Winebrenner went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored.
• Kyle Brex batted 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs.
• Andrew Kell finished 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI on a squeeze bunt.
• Benji Thalheimer (3-3) took the loss in relief after giving up three runs on four hits over three innings of work. Thalheimer walked two and struck out three.
• Tyler Villa made the start and got knocked out in the second, surrendering six runs (five earned) on six hits over 1.2 frames.
• Cole Williams settled things down and kept the game close with three scoreless three-hit innings after Thalheimer.

SALVE REGINA GAME NOTES

• Tyler Cannoe paced the Seahawk bats by going 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and five RBIs.
• Brady Smolinski's three-run homer proved to be the difference for SRU; he finished 1-for-4.
• Matt D'Amato batted 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
• Hunter Yaworski went 2-for-5 with a double and a run, while Christian Homa went 1-for-3 and scored twice.
• Jason Arrigo (9-1) scooped up the relief win with 3.2 innings of one-run, one-hit ball. Arrigo walked four and fanned two.
• Kyle Carozza got the final two outs without issue to lock down his ninth save.
• Brayden Clark lasted 3.2 innings in his start, giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls enter Saturday's Super Regional finale needing to beat the Seahawks twice to extend its season and advance to the NCAA Baseball Championship.
• Game 2 between Salisbury and Salve Regina is scheduled for 11 a.m., with Game 3 (if necessary) set for 45 minutes after the conclusion of the initial game.

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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.