SALISBURY, Md. – Sophomore right-hander Dylan Anderson fired seven shutout innings in relief, allowing just two hits, and junior second baseman Johnny Schiotis' single in the bottom of the sixth inning gave the No. 5 Salisbury University baseball team the lead for good as the Sea Gulls topped the University of Mary Washington, 8-6, on Saturday in the CAC semifinals.
The win for Salisbury (26-6) means it will play for its 11th Capital Athletic Conference championship on Sunday at 11 a.m., against an opponent to be determined.
Anderson, who entered with no one out in the third inning after starter Andrew Levy gave up a home run to Mary Washington's Jono Haught for a 4-3 Eagles' lead, allowed two inherited runners to score as UMW extended the advantage to 6-3, but was in command the rest of the way. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native picked up his first career win while throwing just 68 pitches and issuing no walks.
Schiotis went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs on the day. Mary Washington (22-17) outhit Salisbury, 11-8, but the Sea Gulls benefitted from six errors, scoring four unearned runs. UMW plays its second game Saturday against the York (Pa.) College-Wesley College winner at 4 p.m., for the right to face SU for the title.
Salisbury jumped on UMW starter Torey Mancari for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Bill Root walked and stole second to lead off the inning, and, after another walk from Nick Gentry, the two advanced to second and third, respectively on a wild pitch. Mancari, who threw 45 pitches in the frame, uncorked another wild pitch to score Root for the lead.
With the bases loaded Schiotis rapped a base hit to right field to plate Gentry, and Austin Barefoot followed with fielder's choice RBI groundout to shortstop.
The Eagles' Brendan Jones doubled down the left-field line to start the second, scoring on a single from James Sink to cut into the lead. Sink later scored on a Levy wild pitch to make it 3-2.
Haught's two-run blast to right field in the third gave UMW the lead, before Levy surrendered two more singles.
A Barefoot RBI groundout with two outs in the bottom of the third cut the deficit to 6-4, and Salisbury knotted the game with two runs in the fourth when O'Neill scored on a throwing error by third baseman Cam Kostyack and Quinn Griffith hit a sacrifice fly that chased in Root.
In the sixth, Griffith singled up the middle with one out prior to Evan Graci legging out a roller to shortstop for a hit. Schiotis then lined a 3-1 pitch back through the box for a 7-6 lead.
SU tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when O'Neill came home on another error. He finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk.
Jake Black fell to 6-4 on the season, giving up five hits and two runs in four innings of relief.
Jones led the Eagles, hitting 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored.