SALISBURY, Md. – Seven players recorded multiple hits and senior right-hander Andrew Levy threw eight innings, allowing two runs and one walk, as the fourth-ranked and top-seeded Salisbury University baseball team defeated sixth seed St. Mary's College of Maryland in the first round of the Capital Athletic Conference baseball tournament on Tuesday.
With the win, Salisbury (24-6) faces fourth-seeded Frostburg State University Friday at 12:30 p.m., in the second round at the SU Baseball Field in an elimination game for the Bobcats. FSU fell at third-seeded Wesley College, 7-5, Tuesday.
Senior left fielder Nick Gentry led Salisbury's 17-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with a double, his team-leading 18th stolen base of the season, two runs scored and an RBI. Sophomore catcher Austin Barefoot went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in, while senior designated hitter Evan Graci also collected three hits, two RBIs and scored once.
Levy improved to 8-0, scattering nine hits with six strikeouts on the day. He moved into sole possession of fifth place all-time starting his 33rd career game at Salisbury, while pulling into a tie for ninth with 147 career strikeouts.
Gentry put the Sea Gulls on top for good in the bottom of the sixth inning with a double to left field that plated Johnny Schiotis from second for a 3-2 lead. Schiotis started the frame being hit by a pitch for the 26th time in his career and was sacrificed to second by junior classmate Bill Root.
SU added four more in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Sam Coe with the help of a two-run single by Barefoot sandwiched by run-scoring hits from Graci and Schiotis.
Salisbury jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when, with Graci batting, Gentry scored from third on a wild pitch. Graci followed with a single through the left side to score Griffith.
Levy ran into trouble in the top of the second inning, surrendering four hits, including consecutive RBI singles to Mike Schmidt and Paul Roemer to tie the game at 2-2, but benefitted from the first of three double plays turned by the Sea Gulls on the afternoon.
St. Mary's (13-22), which will play fifth-seeded York (Pa.) College Friday at 9 a.m., in another elimination game, received two hits apiece from Jared Eaker and Alex Lenovitz. Seahawks starting pitcher Devon Jerrard fell to 2-3 on the year, giving up nine hits, three earned runs and three walks in 5 1/3 innings on the mound, fanning four.
Sophomore Kyle Hamby pitched the ninth for SU, allowing a hit, but struck out two.
The final three days of the double-elimination tournament will be played at the SU Baseball Field beginning on Friday morning. To keep up with the schedule, statistics and more from the CAC tournament, visit the event's webpage by clicking here.