SALISBURY, Md. – The top-ranked Salisbury University baseball team erased a late six-run deficit to beat St. John Fisher 9-8, then busted out with three home runs to squash the Cardinals 13-1 and sweep the Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• The Cardinals drew first blood in the top of the second inning. Luke Duffy went deep to center for a solo home run, then Nick Lemire reached on an error at second. Two batters later Jack Migliore laced an RBI double down the left field line to put SJF on top 2-0.
• In the top of the third, James Murphy beat out a two-out infield single and advanced to third on a Brian Norsen base hit. Duffy came up next and dropped a bloop single into shallow left to plate Murphy, then Lemire snuck one through the right side for an RBI base knock to make it 4-0.
• The Sea Gulls had a chance to answer in the home third, loading the bases with one out. Danny Sheeler hit a sharp grounder up the middle, but Noah Campanelli made an acrobatic sliding stop to his right to begin a slick 4-6-3 double play, getting SJF out of the inning unscathed.
• Salisbury got on the board with a two-out rally in the fourth. Jacob Ference singled and took second on an error in center, then Scott Cameron was hit by a pitch. After Ben Anderson drew a pinch-hit walk, Cameron Hyder worked his own free pass, forcing in Ference to make it 4-1.
• The Sea Gulls got men on second and third with no out in the fifth, but SJF reliever Ryan O'Mara used a sharp lineout to first and a pair of strikeouts to get out of the jam.
• Campanelli tagged a homer to left to lead off the top of the seventh, then after a strikeout, single, double and walk to load the bases, Duffy drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run and Lemire dropped an RBI single into right to boost the Cardinal lead to 7-1.
• SU clawed a couple runs back in the bottom of the seventh. One-out doubles by Sheeler and Stephen Rice put men on second and third, then a Roman March single to right brought both men home to make it 7-3.
• SJF got one back in the top of the eighth on a Campanelli leadoff double and Ben Lavery RBI single to make it 8-3.
• Pinch-hitter Andrew Kell was hit by a pitch to lead off the home eighth, then a Hyder double put men on second and third. Pinch-runner Adam Tommer scored on a wild pitch, then Luke Weddell brought home Hyder on a sac fly. Kavi Caster then blasted a solo homer to dead center, bringing SU back within 8-6.
• Sheeler kept the party rolling with a single, then after a flyout and a steal March worked a walk. Ference and Cameron followed with back-to-back RBI singles, the latter tying the game at 8-8.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Hyder punched a single into center to lead off, then Weddell and Caster both legged out infield hits to load the bases. Sheeler came up next and watched four pitches sail out of the zone for the walk-off walk to complete the comeback.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Danny Sheeler batted 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs, two walks and the game-winning RBI in the ninth.
• Kavi Caster homered for the fourth straight game to open the season, finishing 2-for-4 and adding a pair of HBPs. The blast gives Caster 22 for his Sea Gull career, breaking a tie with Robin Knight '78 and Jeff Brubaker '84 for sole possession of fifth in program history.
• Cameron Hyder went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs scored, including the game-winner in the ninth.
• Luke Weddell and Jacob Ference each finished with two hits and an RBI, while Roman March went 1-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
• Brock Hilligoss (1-0) picked up the win in relief with a perfect ninth inning, retiring all three Cardinal batters he faced over nine pitches.
• Jimmy Adkins battled his way through six innings in a no-decision, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits with no walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts.

ST. JOHN FISHER GAME NOTES

• Luke Duffy batted 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs to pace the Cardinals.
• Noah Campanelli went 3-for-5 with a double, solo homer and two runs scored.
• Nick Lemire finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.
• Anthony Lang (0-1) took the loss for the Cardinals after surrendering the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. He officially pitched a third of an inning after retiring one man in the eighth.
• Connor McHugh lasted four-plus innings in his start, giving up one run on four hits with four walks and two punchouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• After Jackson Balzan struck out the side in the top of the first, the Sea Gulls spotted him a trio of runs in the bottom of the first. Cameron Hyder led off with a first-pitch single to center and moved up on a sac bunt. Kavi Caster walked, then Danny Sheeler tattooed a line drive three-run homer to right to put SU on top 3-0.
• The Cardinals peeled one back in the top of the third. Jack Migliore drew a two-out walk and stole second, then Noah Campanelli singled to center to bring him home and make it 3-1.
• In the home third, Hyder laced a triple into the right field corner to lead off, and Weddell beat out an infield hit to put two men on. Caster then clubbed a towering three-run homer to right to boost the SU lead to 6-1.
• Three batters later Roman March restarted the offense with a two-out hustle double and stole his way to third. Zach Geesaman then snuck one through the left side for an RBI single to make it 7-1.
• Salisbury poured it on in the seventh. Hyder got it started with a leadoff single, advanced all the way to third on a sac bunt and scored on a balk. After walks to Caster and Sheeler and a plunking of Stephen Rice to load the bases, March banged one off the right field foul pole for a grand slam to put the Sea Gulls up 12-1.
• SU tacked on one more in the eighth on an RBI single by Caster, giving the game its final 13-1 margin.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Kavi Caster went yard for the fifth consecutive game, finishing 2-for-3 with his fifth home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and a stolen base.
• Cameron Hyder put together a 4-for-4 day with four runs scored. His third-inning triple gives him 13 for his career and ties Pete Grasso '17 for the SU record.
• With six more hits across the doubleheader, Hyder moved into sole possession of seventh on the all-time Sea Gull hit list with 218. Next up on the leaderboard is his former teammate Justin Meekins '21, who stands in sixth with 227 career hits.
• Danny Sheeler went 1-for-3 with his fourth homer of the year, three RBIs and two runs scored.
• Roman March finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, homer, stolen base, two runs and two RBIs.
• Jackson Balzan (2-0) won his second start of the year with seven innings of one-run, three-hit ball, walking two and striking out six on 90 pitches.
• Shawn Rosemond and Aaron Combs handled a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, striking out two apiece.

ST. JOHN FISHER GAME NOTES

• Noah Campanelli went 1-for-3 and drove in the Cardinals' only run of the game.
• Jack Migliore finished 1-for-2 with a run and a stolen base.
• Hunter Walsh (0-1) was stuck with the loss after surrendering three runs in the first inning.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls hit the road for the first time in 2023 with a visit to Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday afternoon.
• First pitch from Virginia Beach, Va., is scheduled for 2 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, Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse 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, 188 conference championships and 43 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.