SALISBURY, Md. – The third-ranked Salisbury University baseball team scored in each of its first four innings, rolling over the Christopher Newport Captains, 7-2, to win the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) series on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Justin Meekins led off the bottom of the first with a screaming double to left, then Kavi Caster poked a single through the right side to bring him home with the game's first run. Jimmy Adkins followed with a bunt that crawled along the first base line and came to rest on the chalk for a single. After a double steal, Cameron Hyder lifted a sac fly into left to score Caster and make it 2-0 Sea Gulls.
- In the second, Sky Rahill was hit by a pitch to lead off and took second on a sac bunt. Two batters later Caster went the other way for an RBI single to left, putting Salisbury up 3-0.
- The Captains got themselves on the board in the top of the third. Jonathan Fisher worked a one-out walk and Kyle Schofield singled to right. Both runners moved up on a groundout, then Scott Crosson hit a grounder that was misplayed at short, allowing both men to score and cutting the Salisbury lead to 3-2.
- The Sea Gulls answered in the home half of the third. Adkins drew a leadoff walk and advanced from first to third on a wild pitch and bad throw from the catcher. Hyder then snuck a base hit through the left side to get Adkins home and rebuild the lead to 4-2.
- Salisbury stayed hot at the plate in the fourth. Rahill was again plunked to lead off, then Stephen Rice legged out a bunt single. Both runners moved up on a sac bunt, bringing up Caster, who ripped a line drive into the right field corner and dove headfirst into third base for a two-run triple.
- Caster soon scored on an Adkins groundout, making it a three-run inning and 7-2 Sea Gull lead.
- Salisbury reliever Clayton Dwyer took it from there, keeping CNU off the scoreboard for the rest of the game and assuring the Sea Gulls of a series win in the rubber game.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Kavi Caster provided the two-hole spark for the Sea Gulls, going 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and four RBIs.
- Cameron Hyder went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Sky Rahill reached base three times, twice being hit by pitches and once on a single, scoring two runs.
- Clayton Dwyer (3-0) mystified the Captains over 5.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to pick up his third win of the year. Dwyer allowed just one hit – an eighth-inning single – hit two batters, walked none, and struck out six.
- Aaron Combs made the start for the Sea Gulls and was effective in 3.1 innings of work. Combs allowed two unearned runs on four hits, walking three and fanning three.
- The Sea Gulls have now won eight of their last nine games and improve to 6-1 in C2C play, moving one-and-a-half games ahead of CNU in the conference standings.
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT GAME NOTES
- Kyle Schofield finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run to lead the Captains.
- Alec Reilly doubled for CNU's only other extra-base hit.
- Dylan Weber (3-2) drew the short end of the decision, surrendering six runs on six hits in three innings.
- The CNU bullpen kept its team in it, combining for five innings of one-run ball and shutting the SU bats down for the final five innings.
UP NEXT
- The Sea Gulls stay in C2C play with a midweek matchup against St. Mary's (Md.) on Wednesday afternoon.
- First pitch from Sea Gull Baseball Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. with coverage beginning on the Sea Gull Sports Network (SGSN) at 3:15 p.m.