CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Behind timely hitting and yet another gem from Jimmy Adkins, the seventh-ranked and fourth-seeded Salisbury University baseball team picked up right where it left off on the sport's biggest stage, downing the 12th-ranked and fifth-seeded Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers, 8-2, to open the 2022 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship on Friday afternoon at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

BOX SCORE
PRESS CONFERENCE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Pointers provided the game's opening salvo in the first inning. Matt Baumann walked to lead off the game, then Aaron Simmons pulled an RBI triple down the right field line to put UWSP up 1-0.
• Salisbury third baseman Luke Weddell helped the Sea Gulls get out of the inning without further damage, though, nailing Simmons at the plate on a fielder's choice grounder and turning an around-the-horn double play to end the frame.
• The Sea Gulls drew even in the bottom of the third. Scott Cameron led off with a single, then after a Zach Adams sac bunt and a groundout moved Cameron up to third, Cameron Hyder brought him home on a first-pitch RBI single to left center, tying the game at 1-1.
• UWSP threatened to go back in front in the top of the fourth, getting the first two men on with a single and a walk. SU starter Jimmy Adkins then buckled down, striking out Lucas Luedtke, Jakob Boos and Quin Henwood in a row to get out of the jam.
• Salisbury followed Cameron's lead again during a fifth-inning rally. Cameron was hit by a pitch with one out and Adams walked to put two men on. After a popout, Hyder ripped a liner into right field for a two-out double, scoring Cameron with the go-ahead run and moving Adams to third. Patrick Campbell followed with a two-run single to right, making it a three-run inning and 4-1 SU lead.
• The Pointers answered in the top of the sixth on a Payton Nelson walk, stolen base and Boos RBI triple to get back within 4-2.
• The Sea Gulls got that run right back in the bottom of the sixth. Stephen Rice led off with a base hit, then two batters later Jacob Ference singled and Cameron walked to load the bases. Adams lifted a deep fly ball to center for a sac fly, allowing Rice to score to make it 5-2.
• Salisbury put it on ice in the eighth. Sky Rahill led off with a walk, then after a sac bunt and a hit batsman, Ben Anderson sliced a pinch-hit two-run double to right. Joey Bowers came in to pinch run and took third on a wild pitch, then after a walk Hyder legged out an infield single to score Bowers and put SU up 8-2.
• The insurance was more than enough for Adkins, who retired the final three Pointer batters in a row to seal the deal.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Cameron Hyder struck the tying and go-ahead blows for the Sea Gulls, both with two out, over a big day at the plate. He finished 3-for-5 with a double, run and three RBIs.
• Patrick Campbell went 1-for-5 with two RBIs, and Ben Anderson drove in two on a pinch-hit double in the eighth.
• Scott Cameron reached base all four times he came to the plate, taking first on a single, walk and two HBPs on the way to scoring three runs.
• Zach Adams produced in all three of his plate appearances, going 0-for-0 with a walk, sac bunt, sac fly, run and RBI.
• Jimmy Adkins (7-1) glowed on the hill in his long-awaited College World Series debut. The D3baseball.com National Pitcher of the Year tossed his third complete game of the season, allowing two runs on six hits over all nine innings. Adkins walked four and struck out seven on 122 pitches.
• Salisbury has now won six straight games at the NCAA Championship dating back to last season. The Sea Gulls went 5-0 in Cedar Rapids on the way to the 2021 national championship.

UW-STEVENS POINT GAME NOTES

• Matt Baumann finished 2-for-3 with a run and a walk from the leadoff slot for the Pointers.
• Aaron Simmons and Jakob Boos both finished 1-for-4 with an RBI triple.
• JD Schultz (3-4) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits over five innings of work.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls move into the winners' side of Pool A play and will face top-seeded Marietta on Saturday afternoon.
• The second-ranked Pioneers took care of business with a 7-0 shutout victory over eighth-seeded Catholic in the first game of the day.
• First pitch from Veterans Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EDT (1:15 p.m. CDT). Salisbury will be the visiting team in the game.

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.