SALISBURY, Md. – The fourth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team got 11 strikeouts from its hurlers and manufactured enough offense in the middle innings to secure a 5-2 victory over TCNJ Lions on Saturday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
After surrendering a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second innings, the Sea Gulls scraped one back in each of their next two turns at bat. In the second,
Trent Waire scored from third on a wild pitch with two outs. Then in the third,
Nathan Tondreault snuck a one-out single through the right side, stole second, and came home on a bad-hop double down the left field line by
Jackson Inman, tying it at 2-2.
Griffin Shirk and
Jay Newton strung together back-to-back base hits to lead off the fourth. Both runners moved up on a sac bunt by
Logan Stillerman, then
Ethan Ruiz then got the job done with an RBI groundout to short, scoring Shirk with the go-ahead tally.
Cole Swift followed by pulling a single down the left field line to plate Newton; after Swift stole second, Tondreault laced a line drive up the middle that deflected off the Lion pitcher's leg for an infield hit, and Swift came around to score on a bad throw from third to make it 5-2 Salisbury.
SU starter
Aidan Brinsfield found a new gear after being spotted the lead, striking out the side in the fifth and two more in the sixth to finish strong.
Cole Williams then put up a pair of scoreless frames out of the bullpen before handing the ball to
Bryce Sterling, who punched out three in a row to put it in the books.
GAME NOTES
- Jackson Inman finished 1-for-4 with the Sea Gulls' only extra-base hit, an RBI double in the third.
- Nathan Tondreault and Jay Newton each went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
- Cole Swift batted 1-for-4 with a steal, run, and rib-eye.
- Aidan Brinsfield (2-1) spun another quality start, surrendering two unearned runs on three hits over six innings. Brinsfield walked two and fanned six on 97 pitches.
- Cole Williams put up a scoreless seventh and eighth with two Ks for the hold.
- Bryce Sterling struck out the side in the ninth for his second save of the year and eighth of his career, moving into a tie with Jimmy Adkins '23 for fifth in Salisbury history.
The Sea Gulls will have a quick turnaround and open the new month on Sunday against Arcadia. First serve from Donnie Williams Stadium is 1 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 207 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
