ARLINGTON, Va. – The eighth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team put up five runs between the fifth and sixth innings and held off a late rally to defeat the Marymount (Va.) Saints 6-4 on Wednesday evening at Capital One Park.
The Saints landed the first blow in the first inning with a pair of runs to go up 2-0. The Sea Gulls got one back in the second on a two-out RBI double by Jake Witter, but Marymount rebuilt the margin to 3-1 on a Bobby Leitzel RBI single in the fourth.
SU made its move thanks to a Saint miscue in the fifth. Witter sparked the rally with a one-out double, then after a walk and a strikeout Danny Sheeler reached on an error at short that allowed a run to score. Dylan Winebrenner followed with a go-ahead two-run base knock, giving the Sea Gulls their first lead at 4-3.
In the sixth, Noah Burroughs led off with a walk and Jackson Inman doubled, setting up BK Wilson for a run-scoring single. Two batters later, Witter brought in another on an RBI groundout that made it 6-3.
Marymount threatened to spoil the result in the bottom of the ninth, putting the first two batters on second and third and bringing one in on a base hit by Jack McCarthy to get within 6-4. With the tying runs on base and no out, SU reliever Cole Williams struck out Andrew Schaeb, then Winebrenner caught a pinch-runner stealing second. Williams then got Anthony Farmakides to roll out to third to preserve the victory.
GAME NOTES
- Jake Witter finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored.
- Dylan Winebrenner plated a pair of runs, going 1-for-4.
- Jackson Inman doubled and scored twice in a 2-for-4 day.
- Aiden Hankins (1-0) proved a fireman out of the bullpen for his first win of the season, scattering two hits across 2.1 scoreless innings with no walks and one strikeout.
- Cole Williams locked down his first save of the year by getting all three outs in the ninth. He was set up by Garrett Beaver, who allowed one run over two-plus frames as a bridge from Hankins.
- Tyler Villa lasted 3.2 innings in his start, giving up three runs on six hits.
The Sea Gulls will continue their road swing with a Saturday doubleheader at Haverford. First pitch of the opener from Haverford, Pa., is set for 12 p.m., with the second game to follow.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming) and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 202 conference championships, and have produced 50 Academic All-Americans.