SALISBURY, Md. – Sophomore Ken O'Neill led a group of four Salisbury University baseball players with at least two hits, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored and senior Devin Gardner pitched four innings of shutout relief as the fifth-ranked Sea Gulls defeated Immaculata University, 7-2, at the SU Baseball Field on Sunday.
SU (20-4) scored three runs in the third and two each in the sixth and seventh innings to ensure its 17th consecutive winning season and 12th under Head Coach Doug Fleetwood.
O'Neill had three singles and picked up his eighth and ninth stolen bases of the season while Bill Root, Chris Connor and Kyle Hayman tallied two hits apiece. Hayman had a double, scored twice and knocked one run in. Connor also scored two runs and had one RBI and Root recorded a run and an RBI on the day.
Gardner (4-1) earned the win in relief of starter Brett Collacchi, who went the first three innings. Gardner allowed just the two hits with one strikeout.
Salisbury got on the board in the third after Immaculata starter Bryan McHale (1-2) retired the first seven batters her faced. Freshman Bobby Sanzone got the Sea Gulls going with a one-out triple to right field before O'Neill bounced one through the left side for a 1-0 lead. O'Neill stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Joseph Knazek followed by a Root base hit up the middle that made it 2-0. Next up, Joey Jones shot another one through the left side to put runners on first and second. After Root advanced to third on a fly ball, he came home when Connor's RBI single traveled back through the box.
Immaculata (8-12) got a run back in the fourth when Matt Hardy double to lead off the inning and scored from third of a wild pitch with two outs.
Evan Graci and O'Neill added RBI singles in the sixth, pushing the lead to 5-1. Hayman found the gap in left-center field in the seventh, scoring Connor and Tyler Bennett for a 7-1 advantage.
The Mighty Macs scratched across a run in the ninth off Stephen Miller for the final margin, but Bill Morton got Joe Karbowsky swinging to end the game.
McHale lasted six innings, surrendered six runs on nine hits and two walks while fanning four. Hardy went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to lead Immaculata at the plate.
SU heads across town to face the Delmarva Shorebirds – the Single-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles – in exhibition action at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.