MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Sophomore Kyle Hayman beat out a bouncer to first base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, allowing Ken O'Neill to score from third, capping a three-run rally, giving the second-seeded Salisbury University baseball team a 3-2 win over fifth-seeded Randolph-Macon College in each team's opening game of the NCAA South Regional on Wednesday.
Down, 3-0, heading to the bottom of the ninth, senior Evan Graci led off with a single up the middle off Yellow Jackets starter Matt Fischgrund. Junior Johnny Schiotis followed with a single through the left side, moving pinch runner Danny Breen to second. O'Neill then laid down a sacrifice bunt, which reliever Will Jennings threw away, chasing home both Breen and O'Neill to tie the game.
After Jennings fanned Tyler Illian and Bobby Sanzone, Bill Root singled and stole second, setting the stage for Hayman's game-winning single.
"We didn't swing it real well, but it was a great lesson in battling through adversity that the guys learned today," said SU Head Coach Doug Fleetwood. "It was great baserunning to tie the game and great hustle for Hayman on the last play."
Hayman finished 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base and RBI for Salisbury.
The Sea Gulls now await the winner of the game between No. 3 Millsaps College and No. 4 Bridgewater College for a 8 p.m., eastern time winners' bracket game on Thursday.
Senior right-hander Andrew Levy pitched his fourth complete game of the season, outdueling Fischgrund to earn his 10th win of the season. Levy allowed just three hits, four walks and two earned runs while striking out four. Fischgrund went eight-plus, allowing one unearned run, four hits and kept SU off balance all day, fanning six.
Raldolph-Macon (23-18-1), which plays top-seeded Huntingdon College in a noon central time elimination game Thursday, opened a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Tim Benjamin's RBI groundout to first plated Jake Fletcher after he walked.
That is the way it stayed until the fifth inning when the Yellow Jackets doubled their lead with another run-scoring groundout from Mitchell Keeler.
Jennings blew the save, falling to 1-1 on the year.
Mark Heideman, Keeler and Fletcher had Randolph-Macon's hits.