SALISBURY, Md. – Sophomore right-hander Brett Collacchi surrendered a humpback line drive to right field with one out in the top of the seventh and final inning to lose a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against Gallaudet, but the No. 7 Salisbury University baseball team swept the Bison, 11-4 and 14-0, at the SU Baseball Field on Sunday.
Gallaudet's Jeremy Murphy dumped a 1-2 pitch in front of a diving Kyle Hayman for the Bison's only hit of the second game. Collacchi allowed just three base runners – including two in the top of the fourth – while striking out five and walking one to nail down the sweep for Salisbury (8-2).
Senior righty Andrew Levy (3-0) also went the distance in the opener, scattering eight hits and four runs (two earned). He fanned seven and walked two in 108 pitches.
Collacchi, who threw just 70 pitches in his first complete game of the season, was perfect through three innings with three strikeouts. A leadoff error and two-out walk in the fourth put runners on first and second for Gallaudet (4-8). But Collacchi induced a ground ball from Casey Hicks to shortstop to get out of the inning and preserve a 3-0 lead.
The Sea Gulls got the three runs in the bottom of the third when Nick Gentry hit the SU's first triple of the season to center field to score Bill Root and Matt Cuervo. Quinn Griffith followed with a single through the right side to score Gentry.
Up, 5-0, in the bottom of the fifth, Salisbury put the game away with seven runs on five hits and an error, sending 13 batters to the plate. Four straight hits chased Gallaudet starter Chris Guinn (0-2) as Griffith doubled to center to score Gentry and Ken O'Neill singled home Griffith for a 7-0 lead. After a wild pitch scored Graci from third, three straight walks forced in another run.
Gentry hit an RBI single up the middle and Griffith walked to plate pinch runner Tyler Illian, capping the scoring in the frame.
All nine starters had at least one hit for the Gulls and seven scored runs in the second game. Gentry led SU's 15-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Griffith and Bobby Sanzone chipped in with three RBIs apiece.
Levy settled in after giving up a leadoff homer to Guinn in the top of the second inning to tie the game, 2-2. Gentry handed SU the lead for good in the bottom of the inning with a bases-loaded single through the right side with no one out to score Johnny Schiotis. Two batters later, Graci made it a 5-2 game with a two-run single through the left side to plate Root and Sanzone.
The Sea Gulls, who scored in all but one inning in the opener, added six more over the final four frames for the win.
Brandon Holsworth (1-1), the reigning Northeast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, absorbed the loss for the Bison, pitching 4 2/3 innings and giving up 13 hits, nine runs and six walks while fanning two.
Graci was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and Sanzone had a game-high three hits.
Guinn, Tommy Barksdale and J.J. Klein led Gallaudet in the doubleheader with two hits apiece.
Salisbury hosts No. 5 Christopher Newport University on Tuesday at 2 p.m.