SALISBURY, Md. – Sophomore third baseman Bobby Sanzone lined a single to center field to score classmate Kyle Hayman from second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the No. 9 Salisbury University baseball team salvaged a doubleheader split against the No. 4 State University of New York at Cortland, winning the second game 4-3, at the SU Baseball Field on Sunday.
Salisbury (4-1) lost a two-run lead in the eighth inning to fall, 4-3, in the first game.
Sanzone roped a 1-1 pitch in front of Zack Graczyk and Hayman beat the throw home for the victory in what was slated to be a seven-inning nightcap.
Hayman worked a one-out walk off of Cortland reliever Cody Petre (0-1) to start the rally. Johnny Schiotis laid down a sacrifice bunt to third that Michael DeCarr threw away, allowing the runners to advance to second and third, to set the stage for Sanzone's game-winning base hit.
Trailing, 2-0, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sea Gulls scored three times to take the lead.
Sanzone singled off of pitcher Steven Kimmelman to open the inning and Bill Root followed with a double to left field, putting runners on second and third, as Kimmelman gave way to Ryan McAlary. Nick Gentry greeted McAlary with a two-run single through the right side of the infield on the first pitch to tie game.
Three batters later, Ken O'Neill followed suit with a sharp single through the right side, to plate Gentry from third with two outs.
Salisbury sophomore right-hander Kyle Hamby loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single in the top of the seventh, before classmate Dan Fein threw a double-play ball. Donny Castaldo scored on the play to tie the game, but Fein wiggled out of further trouble when Schiotis snared a line drive labeled for center field with a dive to end the inning.
Brett Collacchi (1-0) earned the win in relief of Fein after retiring the only batter he faced, Max Rosing, to end the top of the ninth.
SU outhit Cortland, 9-7, in the second game. Sanzone led the way, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Dylan Anderson took the mound for his first collegiate start, lasting 4 1/3 innings prior to freshman Jon Schmedel working 1 2/3 hitless frames.
John Adornetto and P.J. Rinaldi collected two hits apiece for the Red Dragons in the second game.
Salisbury scored runs in the first, second and sixth innings, jumping out to a 3-1 advantage in the opener, but Cortland got to SU reliever Danny Druzgala (1-1) for three in the eighth to take the lead and held on for the win.
Brian Barry and Tim Panetta recorded consecutive RBI singles with no one out in the inning, scoring Adornetto and James Quinn, to pull even at 3-3. Then, with Hamby on for Druzgala, a pitch found its way through catcher Austin Barefoot, allowing Barry to score the go-ahead run.
The run spoiled a solid outing from SU senior right-hander Andrew Levy, who went seven innings, scattering six hits, four walks and a run, while striking out two.
Kyle Barkley (1-0) claimed the win for Cortland, throwing three innings of shutout baseball. Adornetto was 4-for-4 with a run scored, double and walk to pace the Dragons' 10-hit effort.
Gentry, Root, Quinn Griffith and Evan Graci picked up hits for the Gulls.
SU is back in action March 2-3 in a three-game set against the State University of New York at New Paltz. The series starts with a doubleheader at noon.