DOVER, Del. – Sophomore center fielder Bill Root went 4-for-5 with four runs driven in and one scored as the No. 6 Salisbury University baseball team pulled away from Wesley College for a 9-4 series-clinching win at Bob Reed Field on Monday.

SU (8-2, 2-1 CAC) tied a season high with 13 hits as sophomores Joey Jones and Ken O'Neill chipped in with 3-for-5 and 2-for-5 games, respectively. O'Neill had a double, two RBIs and scored twice. The four hits tied a career high for Root.

Senior right-hander Jeff Hoffman (3-0) picked up his team-leading third win in five innings. He allowed just two unearned runs, scattering three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Salisbury got on the scoreboard first, taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Eric Weiser and Hank Adams led off with walks and moved up on a sacrifice bunt from Quinn Griffith. After Johnny Schiotis was hit by a pitch, O'Neill ripped a double down the left-field line, plating Weiser and Adams. A wild pitch from Wesley's Jeff Cochran (0-1) allowed Schiotis to come across to make it a 3-0 game. Then, Root lifted a fly ball to center, scoring O'Neill.

Up 4-1 in the fifth, SU added to the lead. Adams doubled to left to start the inning and Griffith drew a walk. Schiotis pushed the runners up with another sacrifice bunt, and after a strikeout, Root came through with a two-run single up the middle for a 6-1 advantage.

The Sea Gulls added insurance runs in the seventh. With one out and runners on first and second, Root singled back through the box to extend the lead to 7-2. Chris Connor then reached on an error by Matt Robles at second base, chasing Root and O'Neill home to make it 9-2.

Jon Carlson pulled Wesley (6-3, 1-2) to within five with a two-run home run to left in the bottom of the inning but the Wolverines got no closer.

Cochran pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, four walks and four earned runs to take the loss. Carlson was 2-for-4 for Wesley at the plate.

SU travels to the Apprentice School on Wednesday at 2 p.m.