GRANVILLE, Ohio – The seventh-ranked Salisbury University baseball team found its groove on the mound and at the plate, blasting by the William Paterson Pioneers, 10-1, to open the NCAA Tournament Granville Regional on Friday afternoon at Big Red Baseball Field.
The Sea Gulls advance to the winners' bracket of the Granville Regional and will face the 13th-ranked Denison Big Red in their next regional game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Stephen Rice was hit by a pitch to lead off the second inning. After a sac bunt, Jacob Ference was also plunked, and Scott Cameron walked to load the bases. Zach Adams came up next and drew his own free pass, forcing in Rice to put the Sea Gulls on top 1-0.
- The Pioneers answered in the top of the third. Dylan Habeeb led off with a double, then two batters later Carson Weis tapped an RBI single into right to tie it 1-1.
- In the bottom of the third, Patrick Campbell worked a one-out walk, then Kavi Caster lashed a line drive two-run homer down the right field line, his ninth of the year, putting SU back in front 3-1.
- The Sea Gulls doubled their run output in the fourth. Three straight walks loaded the bases, then Campbell was grazed by a pitch to force in a run and Caster laced a two-run single into right to push the lead to 6-1.
- Sky Rahill led off the fifth with a double, then two batters later Cameron doubled him home to make it 7-1 SU.
- Salisbury loaded the bases again in the sixth on a Campbell single, Caster hit batsman and a walk to Rahill. Ference then looped a single into center to score Campbell and Caster and build the lead to 9-1.
- Rice punctuated the onslaught with a solo home run in the eighth, his fifth of the year, making it nine unanswered Sea Gull runs to close out a 10-1 win.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Kavi Caster busted out for a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, four RBIs and a stolen base.
- Stephen Rice finished 1-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored, while Patrick Campbell went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
- Sky Rahill finished 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a run scored.
- Jimmy Adkins (6-1) survived bases-loaded jams in the first and second to nail down his sixth win of the year. Adkins allowed one run on six hits over eight innings, walking two and hitting three while striking out 10 batters on 127 pitches.
- Brandon Epstein punched out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
WILLIAM PATERSON GAME NOTES
- Carson Weis went 2-for-4 with an RBI to produce the Pioneers' only run of the game.
- Dylan Habeeb hit a double for WPU's only extra-base; he finished 1-for-3 with a run.
- Riley Weis (4-2) struggled with his control and took the loss for the Pioneers after giving up six runs on two hits, six walks and three hit batsmen over 3.2 innings.
UP NEXT
- The Sea Gulls will face regional hosts Denison on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Big Red defeated Penn State Harrisburg, 14-6, in the first game of the Granville Regional earlier on Friday.
- The winner of the Salisbury-Denison matchup will advance to the regional championship on Sunday at 11 a.m. The loser will face the winner of Saturday's William Paterson-PSU Harrisburg game in an elimination contest on Saturday at 6 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, 189 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.