SALISBURY, Md. – Tim Petrucelli hit a walk-off two-run double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the fourth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team past the Messiah Falcons, 4-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls drew first blood in the second inning. Adam Tommer singled to lead off and moved up on a sac bunt. After a strikeout and a walk, Kyle Brex poked one through the right side for an RBI single, then Tim Petrucelli brought home another with a base knock up the middle to put SU on top 2-0.
• The Falcons pulled even in the fourth but left the would-be go-ahead run on the table. With two on and two out, Jarrett Gordon tagged an RBI single to center. Nick Moyer came up next and hit a grounder to third that got thrown away for an error. David Martinez came in to score, but Gordon missed the plate as he ran home and was tagged out halfway to the dugout, and the game stayed tied at 2-2.
• The game devolved into a battle of the bullpens with neither side able to break through. SU had chances to win it after loading the bases in the ninth and 11th, but Messiah held serve each time to push the game further into extras.
• The Falcons finally broke the stalemate in the top of the 12th. Joshua Ammons led off with a double, then two batters later Drew Hurst pounded his own ground-rule double to center, scoring Ammons to give Messiah its first lead at 3-2.
• In the bottom of the 12th, Dom Frigiola was hit by a pitch and pinch-run for by Kevin Dall. Pinch-hitter Roman March was also plunked, and the runners moved into scoring position on an errant pickoff move. After a walk to Brex loaded the bases, Petrucelli served one into the gap in left center, scoring Dall and March with the tying and winning runs and setting off a wild celebration out behind second base.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Tim Petrucelli led the way for the Sea Gull bats, going 2-for-5 with the game-winning, game-ending two-run double and three total RBIs.
• Kyle Brex went 1-for-5 with an RBI.
• Andrew Kell and Adam Tommer each had two hits and scored a run.
• Garrett Beaver (1-0) picked up his first win in relief, giving up one run on two hits over 1.1 innings.
• Tyler Villa started the game and lasted four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with no walks and one strikeout on 62 pitches.
• Ethan Hirschfeld, Mitchell Wittkamp, and Shawn Rosemond combined for 6.2 scoreless frames out of the bullpen.

MESSIAH GAME NOTES

• Drew Hurst finished 4-for-6 with an RBI double to pace the Falcons.
• Isaiah Parido went 2-for-4 with a double and two steals.
• Noah Barrall (1-1) took the loss after giving up the tying and winning runs in the 12th.
• Drew Dellinger lasted two innings as the opener for Messiah's bullpen game, giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and three punchouts on 48 pitches.
• Four Falcon pitchers teamed up for eight scoreless relief innings, led by Henry Zercher's three clean frames.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will hit the road for their next three games, starting on Thursday afternoon at Virginia Wesleyan.
• First pitch from Virginia Beach is slated 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 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, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 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 follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.