SALISBURY, Md. – The second-ranked Salisbury University baseball team capped a back-and-forth affair on the winning side of a 5-4 decision over the 10th-ranked Cortland Red Dragons on Saturday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Dragons drew first blood off two SU miscues in the top of the third inning. Dylan Tierney reached on a one-out error at second, then Chris Bonacci bunted for a single and both runners moved up on a throwing error at third. Nick Chemotti hit into an RBI groundout to bring home Tierney and put Cortland on top 1-0.
• The Sea Gulls counterpunched in the bottom of the third. Trent Waire and Max Ehrhardt were both plunked to lead off the inning, then three batters later Danny Sheeler singled through the right side to bring Waire home and tie it 1-1.
• In the top of the sixth, Mat Bruno worked a one-out walk and Nick Plue doubled to put men on second and third. Dylan Mackenzie followed with a double of his own to score both runners and put the Red Dragons back up 3-1.
• Salisbury answered again in the home sixth. Dylan Winebrenner and Tim Petrucelli took back-to-back walks to lead off, then Zach Geesaman bunted his way on to load the bases. Adam Tommer sliced a double into left center, bringing home Winebrenner and Petrucelli for the tie before Geesaman was thrown out at the plate. Two batters later Ehrhardt scored Tommer on a two-out RBI single to give the Sea Gulls their first lead, 4-3.
• Cortland regrouped to tie the game in the top of the eighth. Nick Plue was hit by a pitch with one out, then pinch-runner Jon Munoz took second on a wild pitch. After a walk, pinch-hitter Adam Mieczkowski doubled down the left field line to score Munoz and tie it 4-4.
• Shawn Rosemond shut the door from there with men on second and third and one out, striking out Luke Schartner and Mitchell Kelly back-to-back to mitigate the damage.
• For the third time in the game, the Sea Gulls responded to a Cortland tally with one of their own in the home eighth. Waire walked with two out and Ehrhardt reached on an error at short. Mickey Haynes pinch-ran for Waire at second and Ben Anderson worked a pinch-hit walk to load the bases. Haynes then broke for the plate on a wild pitch, sliding in with the go-ahead run to make it 5-4.
• Rosemond stayed on the bump for the ninth and worked around a one-out single to put up the final zero.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Adam Tommer doubled home two runs in the sixth, finishing the day 1-for-4 with a run scored and two rib-eyes.
• Danny Sheeler batted 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Max Ehrhardt went 1-for-3 with an RBI double.
• Mickey Haynes scored the winning run on a wild pitch in his first action of the season.
• Shawn Rosemond (1-0) picked up the win in relief after pitching the final 1.2 scoreless innings, surrendering two hits and striking out four.
• Benji Thalheimer put together a quality start in his season debut, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings, walking one and fanning three.
• Ethan Hirschfeld tossed 1.1 innings of one-run, one-hit relief in his collegiate debut.
• The win clinches a series victory in the Sea Gulls' three-game set against Cortland. SU has won the season series over the Red Dragons three out of the past four years, as well as seven of the last nine matchups dating back to February 23, 2020.

CORTLAND GAME NOTES

• Chris Bonacci had three hits at the top of the lineup but did not score for the Red Dragons.
• Dylan Mackenzie went 1-for-3 with a two-run double.
• Adam Mieczkowski managed a pinch-hit RBI double.
• Anthony Fusco (0-1) endured the loss in relief after surrendering the go-ahead unearned run on a wild pitch. Fusco also walked two.
• Dylan Beers lasted four innings in a no-decision, giving up one run on two hits.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls and Red Dragons will conclude their season-opening three-game series on Sunday with first pitch from Williams Stadium set for 12 p.m.