SALISBURY, Md. – Wesley College's baseball team used a four-run seventh inning and a two-run single by Joe Hummel to defeat No. 7 Salisbury University, 9-5, in Capital Athletic Conference action on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines even their record at 7-7 and improve to 4-2 in the CAC while the Sea Gulls now stand at 12-4 with an identical 4-2 mark in league play.
Trailing, 4-3 entering the seventh inning, Hummel drilled a shot to centerfield to drive in Tyler Hunter and Cory Smith for the tying and go-ahead runs. Hunter and Smith both reached on singles earlier in the inning and advanced another 90 feet after Trevor Mears was plunked by a pitch, his first of two HBP's on the day.
After Hummel's game-winning base knock, Salisbury brought in a reliever and Mears scored on a passed ball while Hummel crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Stan Zulkowski to give Wesley a 7-4 advantage.
Salisbury got one of those runs back in its half of the seventh but Hunter and Smith delivered with RBIs in the eighth to extend the Wolverines lead to 9-5.
Entering the game with two outs in the seventh, Andrew Cooper struck out Austin Barefoot to end the inning. The senior righthander got a 1-2-3 eighth inning and retired the side in the ninth to pick up a 2.1 inning save, his second of the year.
Eric Marrero earn his first career victory, allowing just one run on one hit in 2.2 innings of relief of starting pitcher Connor Springsteen. Springsteen pitched the first 3.1 innings and allowed three earned on four hits.
Mears reached base all five times he appeared at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a double and getting plunked twice. Smith, Hummel and Matt Domian all had multi-hit efforts on the day as well with Hummel and Zulkowski each driving in a pair.
Wesley had gone on top earlier in the contest with two runs in its first at bat, thanks to RBIs by Mears and Zulkowski. That lead was short-lived as Salisbury scored three in its half of the inning but the Wolverines tied it back up with an RBI single by Domian in the third.
Salisbury retook the lead for the final time with sacrifice fly in the sixth to give it a 4-3 advantage.
The Wolverines host Eastern on Tuesday, March 18 at 3:30 pm.