May 2, 2023

Rice single caps 6-5 comeback thriller for No. 2 Salisbury Baseball over No. 14 R-MC

More news about: Salisbury

Batting

Randolph-Macon
2B: Ethan Iannuzzi
3B: none
HR: none
Salisbury
2B: none
3B: Stephen Rice
HR: Scott Cameron
full stats

SALISBURY, Md. – Scott Cameron tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth and Stephen Rice won it with an RBI single in the ninth as the second-ranked Salisbury University baseball team won its second straight 6-5 walk-off decision, this time at the expense of the 14th-ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets, on Tuesday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Yellow Jackets landed the first blow in the top of the third inning. Myles Webb blooped a single into right to lead off and took second on a balk. After a flyout and groundout, Hunter Cole rolled a base hit up the middle to score Webb and put R-MC up 1-0.
  • The Sea Gulls manufactured an answer in the bottom of the third. Zach Geesaman snuck a leadoff base hit through the right side and Scott Cameron legged out a bunt single to put two on. After a sac bunt by Patrick Campbell, Cameron Hyder brought Geesaman home with an RBI groundout to tie it at 1-1.
  • In the top of the fourth, Carter Schmitt led off with a single and two batters later Carter Johnson walked. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Webb beat out an infield single to score Schmitt. After a walk and a Grayson Bush sac fly that brought home another run, Webb came home on a wild pitch to make it 4-1 Yellow Jackets.
  • Danny Sheeler walked with one out in the home fourth, and two batters later Stephen Rice chipped a soft liner that got by the right fielder for an RBI triple, bringing SU back within 4-2.
  • The teams traded a run each in the sixth. R-MC got one home on an RBI single by Webb that made it 5-2, and SU answered with a bases-loaded walk by Geesaman to get it back to 5-3.
  • Salisbury made it a brand-new ballgame in the bottom of the eighth. Rice walked to lead off, then two batters later Cameron launched a line drive two-run homer to right, tying the game at 5-5.
  • Dom Frigiola worked a free pass to lead off the bottom of the ninth and was pinch-run for by Roman March. Kavi Caster moved March up on a sac bunt and Danny Sheeler was walked intentionally, with both runners executing a double steal as Jacob Ference struck out.
  • With a 2-2 count and two outs, Rice pounded a groundball back up the middle for the walk-off single, scoring March and setting off a second wild celebration in four days at Williams Stadium.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

  • Stephen Rice played the hero in the ninth with his game-winning, game-ending RBI single, ultimately finishing 2-for-3 with a triple, run, steal, sac bunt and two rib-eyes.
  • Scott Cameron went 2-for-4 with the game-tying two-run homer in the eighth. Cameron also saved a run from left field in the fifth by throwing out a Yellow Jacket runner at the plate.
  • Danny Sheeler batted 2-for-3 with two runs, two walks and a stolen base.
  • Zach Geesaman went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and two free passes.
  • Corey Burton (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first win of the season, needing just eight pitches to retire three R-MC batters.
  • Benji Thalheimer lasted four innings in his start, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts on 78 pitches.
  • Brock Hilligoss allowed one unearned run in an inning-plus of relief. Tyler Villa delivered three scoreless frames in his first appearance since Apr. 12 before handing the ball to Burton.
  • Salisbury's last three wins have all come by one run. SU is now 5-1 in one-run games this season.

RANDOLPH-MACON GAME NOTES

  • Myles Webb finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs to lead the Yellow Jackets from the seven-hole.
  • Carter Schmitt batted 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Carter Johnson went 1-for-2 with two runs.
  • Bere Bauers (1-4) took the loss after surrendering the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
  • Cam Furman tossed three innings of one-run, two-hit ball in a no-decision.

UP NEXT

  • The Sea Gulls will hit the road for their final two regular season games, starting on Wednesday at Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) rival and 10th-ranked Christopher Newport.
  • Salisbury and the Captains met at Williams Stadium on Saturday, with SU pulling out a 6-5 win on a walk-off single by Kavi Caster.
  • First pitch from Newport News, Va., is slated for 3 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 men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. 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 44 Academic All-Americans.

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