SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 6 Salisbury University baseball team stretched its season-long winning streak to six games with a doubleheader sweep of York (Pa.) College, 6-2 and 6-3, to open Capital Athletic Conference competition at the SU Baseball Field on Saturday.
Senior Andrew Levy improved to 4-0, pitching seven innings in game one for his second complete game of the season. Levy scattered eight hits, one walk and two earned runs while striking out a season-high-tying seven. Brett Collacchi moved to 3-0 after tossing six innings of five-hit baseball. He allowed three runs (two earned), while fanning five and walking two to help Salisbury (12-2, 2-0 CAC) to the sweep.
Salisbury broke open a 2-2 tie in the bottom of sixth inning of the opener with four runs off of 2012 CAC Rookie of the Year Dan Gurganus to take a 6-2 lead.
Sophomore Kyle Hayman led off the inning with a bunt single to third base, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Austin Barefoot for the go-ahead base hit up the middle by Johnny Schiotis. After a flyout, Bill Root singled to center to put runners on first and third for Nick Gentry. The senior left fielder worked the count to 2-and-2 before lining back through the box for a 4-2 advantage. Quinn Griffith followed with a rocket down the left-field line for a double to score Gentry and Root with two outs.
Levy, who needed 107 pitches, worked around a single through the right side by Dustin Worthman to start the seventh, getting Andrew Hersey to bounce into a double play and struck out Colbe Herr swinging to end the game.
The Sea Gulls' top four hitters in the lineup were 6-for-16 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored, led by Griffith, who was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Root also collected two singles and a run.
Trailing, 1-0, in the bottom of the second, SU took a 2-1 lead with the help of three York (5-6, 0-2) errors. Gurganus plunked Ken O'Neill to start the frame. O'Neill stole second, before consecutive errors by third baseman Justin Cohen and Gurganus loaded the bases with no outs.
Two batters later, Bobby Sanzone tested Cohen again with a grounder to third, which got through, allowing Hayman and O'Neill to score for the lead.
Drew Frankenfield scored Hershey with an RBI groundout to second in the fifth to knot the game, 2-2.
Gurganus fell to 1-2, working six innings in a losing effort. He allowed eight hits and six runs for the Spartans.
Salisbury jumped on game-two starter Josh Miller for three runs each in the first and second innings for a 6-0 lead. Gentry launched his second home run in as many days, this one to left-center field, with one out for a 1-0 edge. After a Griffith walk, Graci doubled to left center putting runners on second and third with one out. O'Neill then singled up the middle for a three-run cushion. The Gulls scored twice on a Griffith single and error by Frankenfield in right field and Graci added an RBI base hit to double the lead.
The Spartans plated three in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run triple by Herr, but Salisbury allowed nothing more as Druzgala picked up his third career save with a scoreless seventh.
Miller (1-1) lasted five innings, giving up 10 hits and six runs and was hung with the loss.
Graci finished 3-for-4 with a double, run and an RBI in the nightcap, while Gentry was 2-for-3 with the homer and two runs scored. O'Neill walked once and knocked in two.
Hershey and Worthman paced York with three hits apiece in the doubleheader.
The teams conclude the series Sunday at noon.