NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Senior right-hander Jeff Hoffman pitched 12 1/3 innings and sophomore Johnny Schiotis scored the winning run in the 14th inning as the second-seeded Salisbury University baseball team outlasted third-seeded Shenandoah University, 2-1, in a game for the ages at the NCAA Newport News Regional Friday night at Captains Park.
Hoffman threw 139 pitches, allowing 12 hits and just one unearned run to lift Salisbury (34-8) to the regional championship game at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday against the winner of the game between Shenandoah and top-seed Christopher Newport University at 11 a.m.
"Jeff Hoffman – wow, he just had a lot of courage out there and we needed it," Salisbury coach Doug Fleetwood said. "I thought it was just a great college baseball game. Both teams did a great job and we played through adversity."
Schiotis beat out a roller to the right side to start the 14th and Nick Gentry sacrificed him to second before catcher Bill Root, who was 0-for-19 in the tournament, lined a single to center off Kyle Scallion (1-2) to put runners on first and third with one out. Ken O'Neill was intentionally walked to load the bases for Joey Jones who reached on fielder's choice to second base and Schiotis scampered home for the go-ahead run.
Salisbury, which was the only team in the regional to not commit an error coming into play Friday, was strong defensively behind Hoffman, turning four double plays, including three to end the sixth, 11th and 12th innings. Shenandoah also stranded a game-high 14 runners.
Kurt Krout led off the bottom of the 14th with a single for Shenandoah (31-12). Joey Donofio laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Krout to second. Pinch hitter Joe Bittner hit a grounder to the right side to advance Krout to third but Bill Morton (2-1) got Corbin Lucas to hit a lazy fly to right field that Kyle Hayman squeezed for the final out.
The Hornets struck first in bottom of the fourth on an RBI double down the left-field line by Nick Beall to score Lucas, who singled to start the inning. Lucas moved to second on a muffed throw by O'Neill at shortstop.
Salisbury knotted the game, 1-1, in the seventh when Schiotis doubled home Quinn Griffith with one out. Griffith singled to start the inning off Jeff Stanek and scored from second.
Stanek pitched well, going 7 1/3 innings, allowing just the one run on seven hits with two strikeouts and three walks before giving way to Scallion for the final 6 2/3 frames.
O'Neill, Griffith and Chris Connor had two hits apiece to lead Salisbury. Jake Pendergraft was 3-for-6 for Shenandoah, leading a group of five Hornets with multiple hits.
"I told the kids earlier (in the tournament), I didn't think we played as hard as we could," said Fleetwood. "But I thought tonight we played hard. … We're just happy to be here tomorrow and get a shot at this thing."