SALISBURY, Md. – The second-ranked Salisbury University baseball team found its wave with an eight-run fourth, using it to ride past the Oswego State Lakers 12-2 in seven innings on Sunday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
The Sea Gulls manufactured a pair of runs in the first inning.
Nathan Tondreault walked to lead off and
Ethan Ruiz legged out a bunt hit, then after a double steal
Max Ehrhardt punched a line drive into center for a two-run single to put SU on top early.
Both sides put up markers in the second. First, the Lakers scratched one across in the second on a bases-loaded sac fly by Grayson Giddings, making it 2-1, but SU limited the damage by coaxing a double play grounder to end the frame. The Sea Gulls countered with a squeeze bunt by Ruiz and a
Jackson Inman RBI double to get it back to 4-1.
After OSU got one back in the top of the fourth, Salisbury cracked it open in the home fourth.
Conner Seeley came to bat with men on the corners and one out and stroked an RBI single into center, and
Jay Newton followed by slashing a two-run triple into the left field corner, with
Trent Waire singling Newton in with a blooper to center that made it 8-2. After back-to-back hit batsmen loaded the bases, Tondreault belted an opposite field grand slam to left, ballooning the SU lead to 12-2.
Tyler Villa locked in after a shaky start, striking out the side on two occasions, including in his final time on the bump in the sixth.
Tyler Katz worked out of trouble for a scoreless seventh to preserve the 10-run lead and trigger the mercy rule.
GAME NOTES
- Nathan Tondreault launched a grand slam for his second home run of the season, going 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base.
- Ethan Ruiz finished 3-for-4 with three steals, two runs, and one RBI.
- Jackson Inman doubled twice as part of a 2-for-5 day with one rib-eye and one run scored.
- Jay Newton went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, run, and two RBIs.
- Tyler Villa (2-1) struck out a career-high eight while scattering two runs on six hits across six strong innings.
- Tyler Katz spun a scoreless seventh to finish the job for SU.
- Four of the Sea Gulls' wins thus far have been by run-rule in seven innings.
The Sea Gulls will battle the Lakers one more time at Donnie Williams Stadium on Monday morning. In an effort to avoid the afternoon storms, first pitch has been moved from 2 p.m. to 10 a.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.
