SALISBURY, Md. – In one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the regular season, the fifth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team relied on strong pitching and a big fifth inning to take down the third-ranked Shenandoah Hornets, 4-2, on Friday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After both sides missed opportunities through the first four innings, the Hornets finally broke through in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two out, Gavin Horning bowled one up the middle for a two-run single to put Shenandoah on top 2-0.
• The Sea Gulls countered by manufacturing four of their own in the bottom of the fifth. Ethan Ruiz and Andrew Kell were both hit by a pitch to lead off and Kyle Brex legged out a bunt single to load the bases. After Tim Petrucelli brought Ruiz home with a sac fly, Zach Geesaman hit a groundball to third and Kell broke for the plate. The throw got there first, but Kell's headfirst slide knocked the ball loose from the catcher's mitt, and Kell was in safe with the tying run.
• Danny Sheeler then plated the go-ahead run with a sac fly, and Dom Frigiola tagged an RBI single to left to put Salisbury ahead 4-2.
• Shenandoah threatened in the sixth, putting two men on with two out, but Garrett Beaver came in from the bullpen to induce a weak groundout to short to end the threat.
• The Hornets put two more on with back-to-back walks in the top of the ninth, but Beaver held the line again, forcing Frankie Ritter to ground into the game-ending out at short.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Tim Petrucelli, Zach Geesaman, Danny Sheeler, and Dom Frigiola each had an RBI in the Sea Gulls' four-run fifth inning.
• Andrew Kell scored the tying run for Salisbury, while Kyle Brex went 1-for-3 with the go-ahead run.
• Sheeler doubled for the only extra-base hit of the game for either side.
• Aidan Brinsfield (2-0) earned his second win with 1.2 innings of two-run, two-hit ball out of the bullpen.
• Garrett Beaver nailed down his second save with 3.1 scoreless no-hit frames. He walked two and struck out one.
• Ethan Hirschfeld tossed four scoreless innings to start the game, scattering three hits and fanning two.
• The win snaps a three-game Salisbury losing streak against Shenandoah dating back to April 2021.

SHENANDOAH GAME NOTES

• Gaving Horning finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs to pace the Hornet attack.
• Brody Pickette and Matt House both scored on Horning's two-run single in the fifth.
• Jackson Sherman (3-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 3.2 relief innings.
• Andrew Gload lasted four-plus innings in his start, surrendering two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will play their first game against a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) foe on Saturday with a visit to Mary Washington.
• First pitch from Fredericksburg, Va., is set for 2 p.m.