SALISBURY, Md. – The fourth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team took late leads to win a pair of back-and-forth games against the Haverford Fords, sweeping a doubleheader 8-4 and 11-5 on Sunday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- The Fords drew first blood in the top of the fourth inning. Zach Landry was hit by a pitch with one out and Kyle Beach singled. After a groundout to advance the runners, Zach Becker looped a two-run double down the right field line to put Haverford up 2-0.
- The Sea Gulls got one back in the bottom of the fourth as Danny Sheeler tripled and scored on a Ben Anderson RBI groundout to make it 2-1.
- In the fifth, Scott Cameron served a leadoff single into right and went to third on a hit-and-run single by Dom Frigiola. Cameron Hyder then lifted a double into the left field corner to bring Cameron home with the tying run. Luke Weddell came up next and chopped a grounder up the first base line to score Frigiola and put SU up 3-2.
- Landry and Beach led off the sixth with back-to-back base hits for HC. After a sac bunt, Becker legged out an infield single to bring home Landry to tie it 3-3.
- In the top of the seventh, Jonny Flieder doubled to lead off and took third on a Jack Wallis single. Two batters later Landry laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Flieder and put the Fords back on top 4-3.
- The Sea Gulls broke through with a four-spot in the home seventh. Cameron and Frigiola stroked back-to-back doubles to tie the game, then after a sac bunt moved pinch-runner Adam Tommer to third, Weddell brought him home with a sac fly to center to put SU back on top 5-4.
- Kavi Caster lined a single straight up the middle to restart the rally, then Sheeler blasted a two-run home run to right field to make it 7-4.
- Salisbury tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as Jacob Ference walked, stole second, took third on a sac bunt and scored on a sac fly by Hyder, boosting the lead to 8-4.
- Brandon Epstein worked around a leadoff walk to slam the door in the ninth and secure the Game 1 victory.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Danny Sheeler led the way from the cleanup slot, going 2-for-4 with a triple, home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Sheeler's eight home runs in 19 games this season eclipse his total of seven in 39 games for Washington College in 2022.
- Dom Frigiola finished 3-for-3 with a double, run and RBI.
- Scott Cameron batted 2-for-3 with a double, stolen base and two runs, while Cameron Hyder went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
- Brandon Epstein (2-0) picked up the win with three scoreless innings in relief. Epstein allowed no hits, walked one and struck out two on the way to his second victory.
- Jimmy Adkins did not factor into the decision after giving up three runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings. Adkins walked two and struck out seven on 105 pitches.
HAVERFORD GAME NOTES
- Zach Becker proved a tough out from the nine-hole, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
- Zach Landry batted 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Kyle Beach went 2-for-4 with a run.
- Riley Grohowski (3-2) battled for 6.2 innings but unraveled late, giving up seven runs on 11 hits in a loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- The Sea Gulls busted through the ice in the bottom of the fourth inning as Ben Anderson launched a solo home run to left to make it 1-0 Salisbury.
- In the top of the fifth, the Haverford loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Pranav Rane then snuck a two-run single through the right side to put the Fords on top 2-1.
- Salisbury loaded the bases with no out in the sixth on a Kavi Caster single, Danny Sheeler double and walk to Anderson. Stephen Rice tied the game with a sac fly to right, then Zach Geesaman bunted home Sheeler with a squeeze play to put SU back up 3-2.
- The Fords punched back in the top of the seventh as Zach Becker tripled and scored on a Rane sac fly to tie it at 3-3.
- The Sea Gulls vaulted back in front in the home seventh as Andrew Kell led off with a pinch-hit triple and Cameron Hyder went deep to right for a two-run homer to make it 5-3.
- Haverford rallied once again in the top of the eighth. Jonny Flieder led off with a single, then after two groundouts Zach Landry tripled him home. Becker followed with the game-tying RBI single to knot it up at 5-5.
- Salisbury finally put it away with a big bottom of the eighth. Zach Geesaman led off with a double and Scott Cameron was hit by a pitch. After Patrick Campbell reached on a sac bunt-turned-error to load the bases, Hyder dunked a two-run single into right; Hyder was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double but still gave the Sea Gulls a 7-5 lead.
- Luke Weddell followed with an RBI single up the middle and Caster reached on an error. After a double steal and an intentional walk, Anderson singled home two runs and Rice laid down a squeeze bunt to plate another, capping a six-run inning to give SU an 11-5 that would hold till the final out.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Cameron Hyder put the finishing touches on a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with his second home run in three games and four RBIs.
- Hyder finished the day with 242 career hits, surpassing Greg Lemon '06 (239) and Nick Pegelow '06 (241) for sole possession of third place on the Salisbury all-time leaderboard. Hyder is now nine hits shy of second place (Mike Celenza '10, 251) and 10 hits from tying the program record (Pete Grasso '17, 252).
- Ben Anderson finished 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs.
- Kavi Caster batted 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base, while Danny Sheeler went 1-for-3 with a double, two runs and two steals.
- Shawn Rosemond (1-0) earned his first career win by slamming the door over the final inning and a third, striking out a pair.
- Tyler Villa lasted 4.1 innings in a no-decision, giving up two runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts on 74 pitches.
- Corey Burton made his 68th career pitching appearance coming out of the bullpen in the eighth, tying the SU program record previously established by Star Kriger '03.
HAVERFORD GAME NOTES
- Pranav Rane finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs out of the nine-hole for the Fords.
- Zach Landry and Zach Becker each had a triple and RBI and scored two runs.
- Ethan Goldstein (1-2) was saddled with the loss after giving up six runs (two earned) on four hits in an inning and a third.
- Josh Fuller endured a no-decision after giving up four runs on six hits in six innings, walking two and striking out three on 94 pitches.
UP NEXT
- The Sea Gulls will continue their four-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon against McDaniel.
- First pitch from Williams Stadium is set for 3 p.m. with coverage on the Sea Gull Sports Network (SGSN) beginning at 2:45 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, Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse 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, 188 conference championships and 43 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.