SALISBURY, Md. – A seven-run second inning doomed the top-ranked Salisbury University baseball team in a 7-3 loss to the second-ranked Cortland State Red Dragons in Friday afternoon's highly-anticipated showdown at Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.

BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls got to work early and manufactured a run in the bottom of the first inning. Patrick Campbell worked a leadoff walk and stole his way to second and third as Kavi Caster drew his own walk. After Caster stole second, Scott Cameron lifted a sac fly into center to bring home Campbell and make it 1-0.
• After wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the first with no additional damage, the Red Dragons answered with a big top of the second. Dan Coleman led off with a single, and James Varian pegged a two-run homer to give Cortland the 2-1 lead. After a walk and sac bunt, Paul Franzese doubled to left to drive in another, then after a strikeout and walk Scott Giordano doubled home two more to make it 5-1.
• Coleman followed a hit batsman with an RBI single, then Cortland picked up another on back-to-back walks, finishing off a seven-run frame with a 7-1 lead.
• Salisbury began clawing its way back in the third. Campbell walked again to lead off and went to third on a Caster single. Cameron followed with a base knock to right, plating Campbell and allowing Caster to take third. Stephen Rice came up next and lifted a sac fly to left, scoring Caster to bring SU back within 7-3.
• The Sea Gulls had a chance for more, as Sky Rahill laced a ground-rule double to left to put men on second and third, but Cameron Hyder hit a screaming liner right to first for the second out and Jacob Ference lined out to right to cut short the threat.
• From there it became a battle of the bullpens, with neither side able to string together a scoring rally. Salisbury came close to breaking through in the fifth, loading the bases with two out, but Ference rolled out to shortstop and the Sea Gulls came up empty.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Caster drew a leadoff walk and Rice was hit by a pitch two batters later, but Cortland turned to Liam Krasney out of the bullpen, who forced Rahill to ground into a fielder's choice and Hyder to bounce out to third to end it. Krasney finished off the final six outs with relative ease, dealing the Sea Gulls their first loss of the season.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Scott Cameron went 1-for-4 and drove in two of the Sea Gulls' three runs.
• Patrick Campbell set the table from the leadoff slot, scoring twice and going 1-for-3 with two walks and two stolen bases.
• Sky Rahill's ground-rule double in the third accounted for Salisbury's only extra-base hit of the game.
• Jackson Balzan (0-1) got knocked out in the second inning, allowing six runs on five hits in just 1.2 frames.
• Salisbury's bullpen kept the Sea Gulls in the game after Cortland's big second. Brandon Epstein managed 3.1 innings of scoreless two-hit ball, and Robbie Hollenbeck and Justin McDermott fired two scoreless innings apiece.

CORTLAND GAME NOTES

• Scott Giordano paced the Red Dragon attack from the three-hole, going 3-for-5 with a double, run and two RBIs.
• Danny Coleman went 2-for-5 with a run and RBI, and James Varian went yard for a two-run shot to open up Cortland's seven-run second.
• Spencer Weyand (1-0) grabbed the win in relief for the Red Dragons, giving up a pair of runs in 1.2 innings. Matt Funk, Anthony Fusco and Liam Krasney combined for seven scoreless out of the bullpen.
• Ryan Flansburg didn't make it out of the first inning, giving up one run and getting just one out while walking three and plunking another. Weyand kept Flansburg's line from spiraling out of control by inducing a double play grounder to end a bases-loaded threat.
• With the win the Red Dragons avenge a pair of losses to the Sea Gulls at the 2021 College World Series. Salisbury beat Cortland 11-1 and 11-8 in preliminary play to advance to the final round.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls now turn their attention to a Saturday afternoon matchup against Widener.
• First pitch from Sea Gull Baseball Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. with coverage on the Sea Gull Sports Network (SGSN) beginning at 1:45 p.m.
• Cortland and Widener will play a neutral game in Salisbury at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The Sea Gulls and Red Dragons will square off one more time on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 186 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.

To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.