SALISBURY, Md. – Senior left fielder Nick Gentry shot an 0-and-1 pitch up the middle with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring classmate Bill Root from second as the No. 1 Salisbury University baseball team nipped the Apprentice School at the SU Baseball Field on Wednesday.
Root, who reached on a fielder's choice that erased Bobby Sanzone, stole his second base of the day to get into scoring position for Gentry's game-winning hit.
Senior designated hitter Evan Graci went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of two-out RBIs to lead Salisbury (14-2) to its eighth consecutive win. Gentry went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs of his own while junior second baseman Johnny Schiotis picked up his fifth two-hit game of the season with two singles in four at-bats.
Right-handed reliever Kyle Hamby earned the win, pitching the final 3 2/3 innings and striking out six.
Apprentice (18-4) took a 3-2 lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning on a Mark Labrador sacrifice fly to center field and a Lee Rossi double down the left-field line off of Salisbury starter Jeff Oster.
The Sea Gulls tied the game, 3-3, in the seventh, with a two-out double by Gentry to the gap in right-center that plated Sanzone from first base, spelling the end of the day for Apprentice starter Ryland Edwards. Sam Massie got Quinn Griffith on a grounder to second to end the inning.
Edwards took a no-decision despite going 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs and two walks to the Sea Gulls while fanning four.
SU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Root singled, stole second, and with two outs, Graci doubled to the wall in right-center field. The Builders tied it in the top of the third when Zach Harding scored on a passed ball, before Salisbury responded with another two-out hit from Graci to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Devorn Lake and Rossi each collected two hits with a double to pace Apprentice, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Massie took the loss on the mound, allowing three hits, a walk and a run in 1 2/3 innings.
Salisbury travels to St. Mary's (Md.) College for a three-game CAC series this weekend starting with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m.