The No. 6 Salisbury University baseball team broke open a tie game in the fifth inning, scoring 11 unanswered runs on its way to a 12-1 win over Eastern-Shore-rival Washington (Md.) College at the SU Baseball Field on Friday.
Freshman Brett Collacchi (1-0) earned the win in his first collegiate start, allowing two hits – one a solo home run – in five innings. He struck out five.
Junior designated hitter Chris Connor and sophomore shortstop Ken O'Neill each batted 2-for-4 with three runs batted in to lead the change for Salisbury (6-1). Senior catcher Tyler Bennett and sophomore center fielder Bill Root also collected two hits apiece.
The Sea Gulls struck first in the first inning with a Connor two-out line drive to center that plated Nick Gentry from second base.
Washington (1-1) knotted the game at 1-1 in the fourth on Nick Marinelli's solo homer to left field before the SU offensive onslaught began in the fifth.
O'Neill hit a solo shot of his own with one out in the inning off reliever Kyle Aldrich (1-1) to put Salisbury in front. The blast to left field was the second home run of O'Neill's career. Then, with runners on second and third, Connor doubled to the gap in right-center field, scoring Gentry and Bennett to push the lead to 4-1.
Leading, 5-1, in the sixth, Root singled home Nick Walls prior to Bennett's run-scoring single after a wild pitch and Gentry walk.
With two outs in the seventh inning, the Gulls scored three more times on consecutive RBI hits. O'Neill doubled over Sean Cannole's head in center field to score Chris Gaines and Hank Adams, followed by a Root single down the left-field line to pick up O'Neill.
The Shoremen loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with no one out, but heavy rain forced an early end to the game.
Aldrich took the loss in 1 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs (four earned) on six hits in support of starter Joe Kearney-Argow, who lasted four innings.
Matt Christopher and Daniel Wu posted the other two Washington hits on the day.
Due to rain, SU's series at Wesley College has been pushed back to Sunday and Monday. The Sea Gulls and Wolverines will play a doubleheader beginning at noon on Sunday and a single game at 1 p.m., on Monday.