SALISBURY, Md. – After honoring the father of the program before the game, the fifth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team kept the celebration going through the final out, corralling a 5-4 win over the Mary Washington Eagles in Saturday's Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) action at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls broke the ice in the first inning. Andrew Kell and Tim Petrucelli worked back-to-back leadoff walks, and Dylan Winebrenner dropped down a bunt single to load the bases. Danny Sheeler then lifted a sac fly out to left, scoring Kell to make it 1-0.
• In the third SU again loaded the bases on a Petrucelli double and two walks, and pinch-hitter Alex Craig brought Petrucelli home with his own sac fly to center to double the lead at 2-0.
• Petrucelli added to the Sea Gull lead again in the fifth with a tape-measure solo home run to right to make it 3-0.
• The Eagles got two of those runs back in the top of the sixth. Oliver Martin singled to lead off and two straight walks loaded the bases. After a fielder's choice at the plate, Burke Steifman hit a grounder to first that Sheeler misplayed, allowing two runs to score and get UMW within 3-2.
• Salisbury reinforced the margin in the seventh. Sheeler worked a two-out walk and Mickey Haynes was plunked, then Zach Geesaman bowled an RBI single up the middle to score Sheeler and push it to 4-2.
• SU tacked on another insurance run in the eighth thanks to a pair of Eagle miscues. Trent Waire reached on an error to lead off and Max Ehrhardt put down a sac bunt that was thrown away, moving the runners to second and third. Kell then lashed a liner into right for an RBI single to make it 5-2.
• UMW refused to go away quietly, though. George Rizzo drew a pinch-hit walk to lead off the ninth and Ty Lowe clubbed a two-run homer to right to make it a one-run game again at 5-4.
• A Bobby Ayscue single, sac bunt, and flyout then put the tying run at third base with two out. Following a walk, Alex Purgason stepped to the plate with men on the corners. Garrett Beaver locked in on the hill, though, striking out Purgason swinging to finish the job.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Tim Petrucelli went yard for the third straight game, finishing 2-for-4 with his ninth home run, plus a double, RBI, and two runs scored.
• Andrew Kell batted 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Zach Geesaman went 1-for-3 with one rib-eye.
• Danny Sheeler and Alex Craig each drove in a run on a sac fly.
• Ethan Hirschfeld made his longest start of the season to win it for the Sea Gulls, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits in five-plus innings of work. Hirschfeld walked two and punched out three.
• Garrett Beaver earned his third save of the year by securing the final two outs of the ninth. Cole Williams acted as the bridge between Hirschfeld and Beaver, tossing 3.1 innings of two-run ball in relief.
• The win avenges Salisbury's 11-9 loss at Mary Washington on Mar. 30 and moves SU to 2-1 in C2C play with one more conference game to go.
• Before the game, the Sea Gulls paid tribute to the late Deane Deshon, who founded the SU baseball program and served as its head coach for 34 years, winning 553 games. A monument to Deshon was unveiled in the courtyard of Donnie Williams Stadium earlier in the day, and Deshon's grandson Jordan threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

MARY WASHINGTON GAME NOTES

• Ty Lowe brought the late power for the Eagles with a two-run homer, finishing 1-for-4 on the day.
• Oliver Martin accounted for three of UMW's five hits, going 3-for-4.
• Connor Hassan (1-1) took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits over five innings. Hassan walked three and fanned seven.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will turn around and host Widener on Sunday to cap a five-game week. First pitch from Donnie Williams Stadium is 1 p.m.