SALISBURY, Md. – The seventh-ranked Salisbury University baseball team pounded their most home runs in a game in at least two decades on the way to a 17-7, seven-inning thumping of the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets on Thursday afternoon at Donnie Williams Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.
Dylan Winebrenner gave the Sea Gulls a near-instant lead in the first inning, clubbing a two-run home run to right. Then in the second with the bases loaded and no out, TJ Morris brought one home with an RBI fielder's choice, and Danny Sheeler blasted a line drive three-run dinger just left of the batter's eye to give SU a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets got one back in the top of the third on an Aaron Lautenschlager sac fly, but Salisbury countered in the home third as Jackson Inman powered a no-doubt solo shot to right. Andrew Kell followed with a double and BK Wilson singled him home to make it 8-1.
After RMC scratched a pair across in the fourth, Noah Burroughs answered with SU's fourth homer of the game, a solo shot to center to make it 9-3. The Yellow Jackets plated two more in the top of the sixth, but the Sea Gulls punched back again with two more big flies, a two-run shot by Winebrenner and a three-run opposite field laser by Andrew Kell, building the margin to 14-5.
The Sea Gulls again bounced back after surrendering a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Sheeler cracked SU's seventh and final homer to lead off the home seventh, then after a pair of walks Kell singled home another run. After a groundout, Inman scored on a wild pitch to make it a 17-7 lead and trigger the 10-run rule to end the game.
GAME NOTES
- Salisbury's seven home runs mark its most in one game in at least 18 years, dating back to the beginning of modern recordkeeping in 2007. SU last homered six times in a game against Christopher Newport in April 2018.
- Danny Sheeler went yard for the fourth and fifth times this season, finishing 2-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs. With 26 career home runs, Sheeler is now tied with Dave Westervelt '98 for fifth-most in Sea Gull baseball history.
- Dylan Winebrenner notched his own multi-homer game, going 2-for-4 with two blasts and four RBIs. Winebrenner has belted four home runs in his past six games.
- Andrew Kell batted 4-for-5 with his first dinger of the season, plus a double, two runs, and four RBIs.
- Noah Burroughs and Jackson Inman each launched solo bombs and scored three runs.
- Aidan Hankins (3-0) was awarded the win in relief at the scorekeeper's discretion. Hankins tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk with one strikeout.
- Kyle Speas pitched into the third inning in an abbreviated start, surrendering one run on two hits in 2.1 frames.
The Sea Gulls will play their first Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) game of the season on Saturday at Christopher Newport. First pitch from Newport News, Va., is set 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 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.