FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The 11th-ranked Salisbury University baseball team shook off a weeklong layoff to sweep a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) doubleheader against the Mary Washington Eagles, winning 8-1 and 11-5 on Saturday afternoon at V. Earl Dickinson Stadium.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- After the Eagles got an unearned run on an Owen Reilly RBI single in the third inning, the Sea Gulls seized control with a four-run fourth. Cameron Hyder led off with a double and scored the tying run on a Patrick Campbell sac bunt and wild pitch. Kavi Caster then singled and advanced to third on an error at first. After a walk to Stephen Rice, Caster scored and Rice moved up to second on a wild pitch that put SU on top 2-1.
- Sky Rahill singled and Jacob Ference brought Rice home with a squeeze bunt, then Scott Cameron doubled home Rahill to make it 4-1 Salisbury.
- Scoring chances were few and far between for both sides until the Sea Gulls put it away for good in the eighth. Caster tripled to lead off and scored on an RBI single by Rice. Rahill then bunted his way aboard and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Three batters later Dom Frigiola was hit by a pitch to put runners everywhere, and Luke Weddell cleared the bases with a triple down the left field line, giving SU an 8-1 lead it would take to the finish line.
- UMW managed only three baserunners after the third inning as Jimmy Adkins locked down the Eagles for his second complete game victory of the month.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Luke Weddell delivered the biggest blow for the Sea Gulls with his three-run triple in the eighth; he finished 1-for-4.
- Kavi Caster went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored.
- Cameron Hyder finished 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, while Sky Rahill went 2-for-5 and scored twice.
- Jimmy Adkins (4-1) won his fourth straight decision with his fifth career complete game and second this season. Adkins gave up just an unearned run on four hits over nine innings, walking one and hitting one while punching out seven on 110 pitches.
- Over his first five starts of the year dating back to March 26, Adkins is 4-0 with a 0.71 ERA in 38 innings. He has pitched at least six frames in each start, going seven-plus four times.
- Both of Adkins' complete games have come against C2C foes; he held Christopher Newport to one run over nine innings in a winning effort on April 16.
MARY WASHINGTON GAME NOTES
- Owen Reilly finished 1-for-4 with an RBI to drive in the Eagles' only run of the game.
- Jacob Christenbury went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored.
- Alex Kobersteen (3-4) was victimized with six runs on eight hits over seven-plus innings in a loss, walking three and striking out three on 105 pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- Salisbury grabbed an early lead as Kavi Caster doubled home a run in the top of the first inning, making it 1-0 Sea Gulls.
- The Eagles regrouped and went in front in the second. Sam Freeborne and Luke Guerzon sparked a two-out rally with back-to-back singles, then after a walk to load the bases Jacob Christenbury brought two home with a base hit, putting UMW on top 2-1.
- The Sea Gulls grabbed the lead right back in the top of the third. With two on and two out, Sky Rahill singled home one run, and the throw home put runners on second and third. That brought up Jacob Ference, who plated both with a two-run single to make it 4-2 Salisbury.
- UMW nibbled away a run each in the third and fourth to draw even. In the third, Noah Roots doubled and eventually scored on a Ty Lowe sac fly. In the fourth, Christenbury worked a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on a bad pickoff throw, tying the game at 4-4.
- The teams traded a run each in the fifth. Ference brought home SU's tally with a sac fly, and the Eagles answered with an RBI double from Lowe to make it 5-5.
- The Sea Gulls finally shook loose from their hosts and scored the final six runs unanswered. Luke Weddell doubled with one out in the sixth, then Cameron Hyder singled to put men on the corners. Patrick Campbell laid down a squeeze bunt to bring Weddell home with the go-ahead run, then Caster blasted a two-run inside-the-park homer to left center to make it 8-5 Salisbury.
- SU put up three more runs for good measure in the eighth. Weddell led off with a walk and Hyder beat out a bunt single, then two batters later Caster doubled them both home to make it 10-5. Stephen Rice hit a grounder that caused trouble at third, allowing Caster to advance, then Rahill put the squeeze on and Caster beat the throw home, giving the game its final 11-5 margin.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Kavi Caster paced the offense with a monster game, going 3-for-5 with his eighth home run of the season, two doubles, three runs scored and five RBIs.
- Over the two games of the twin bill, Caster batted 5-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, five RBIs and five runs scored.
- Cameron Hyder scored four runs from the leadoff slot, going 2-for-4 and being hit by two pitches.
- Jacob Ference picked up three rib-eyes in a 1-for-4 game.
- Sky Rahill finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, while Luke Weddell went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
- Benji Thalheimer (6-0) made his first appearance since April 12 and picked up the win in relief. Thalheimer pitched the final five innings for the Sea Gulls, allowing no runs on just one hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
- Jackson Balzan pitched four-plus innings in a no-decision, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Balzan's final run against scored in the fifth after he had left the game.
- Salisbury improves to 6-0 in C2C play with two league games to go. The Sea Gulls can clinch the outright regular season title and homefield advantage in the C2C Tournament by winning at least one game during next Saturday's home doubleheader against CNU.
MARY WASHINGTON GAME NOTES
- Noah Roots double and scored twice, finishing 1-for-3.
- Ty Lowe went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Jacob Christenbury finished 1-for-3 with two rib-eyes and a run scored.
- Brendan McComber (3-6) took the loss after surrendering seven runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings.
UP NEXT
- The Sea Gulls will play their final road game of the regular season on Tuesday evening at DeSales.
- First pitch from Center Valley, Pa., is set for 5 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 186 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.
To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.