SALISBURY, Md. - No. 9 ranked Salisbury University used a two-run eighth inning to slip past Virginia Wesleyan College's visiting Marlins Tuesday in a non-conference game on the SU Baseball Field.
Rutger Floyd (Clifton, Va./Robinson) ripped a single into center field to score the decisive runs with two outs. His hit scored Kyle Hayman (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth), who walked earlier, and Quinn Griffith (Federalsburg, Md./North Caroline), who singled.
Virginia Wesleyan (0-3) fell 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to end a close contest from the start.
After Salisbury (1-0) took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first, Virginia Wesleyan tied it in the top of the second when sophomore George Annunziata (Pawling, N.Y./Pawling) doubled to left to score senior Billy Crowe (Bath, N.Y./Haverling), who kept the inning alive with a two out single to right center.
Virginia Wesleyan took a 3-1 led in the top of the third with a pair of runs. Junior Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) and senior Kenneth Belgrave (Norfolk/Granby) opened the inning with back-to-back singles, setting things up for senior Josh Miller (Norfolk/Greenbrier Christian) who knocked a one-out double down the left line to score a run. Rookie Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville/Carroll County) belted an RBI-sacrifice fly to left to score the second run before Salisbury ended the inning.
But, the lead was short-lived as Salisbury opened the bottom of the inning with a double to right center from Matt Cuervo (Jefferson, N.J./Jefferson Township). With the help of another single and two costly errors, the host Sea Gulls plated the two runs needed to tie the game.
Pitching took over for the next several innings as Virginia Wesleyan managed only one hit from the fourth through the eighth innings. Salisbury was hitless from the fourth through the seventh, but came up with three hits to help drive in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Virginia Wesleyan out-hit Salisbury overall, 7-6, led by Josh Miller with a single and double. Sophomore Jordan Miller (Chesapeake/Grassfield) also connected for a double. No Salisbury player had more than one hit.
Sophomore Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) started on the mound for VWC and turned in seven solid inning, striking out six batters, walking none, and allowing three hits. Sophomore Reed Duffer (Keysville/Randolph Henry) entered in the eighth and gave up a walk, three hits and two runs en route to taking the loss.
Andrew Lvy and Danny Druzgala pitched for Salisbury, combining to allow seven hits and three runs. They walked four and struck out four. Druzgala worked the final 3.2 innings and notched the win.
Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, Feb. 16, opening its home schedule with a non-conference doubleheader against Southern Virginia University beginning at noon.
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