WASHINGTON – The fourth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to pull away from the Catholic University of America for an 8-2 win at Talbot Field on Wednesday.
Sophomore Austin Barefoot recorded a career-high three hits, while classmate Danny Breen knocked in a career-best two runs in the victory. Freshman right-hander Jeff Oster improved to 2-0, working 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out three for Salisbury (18-5), which collected 14 hits on the day.
The Sea Gulls never trailed and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Bill Root led off the game with a double to the gap in right-center field, followed by a single to left from Johnny Schiotis and a Nick Gentry walk that loaded the bases. Quinn Griffith singled to right field to score Root for a 1-0 lead. Catholic starter Robin Mowatt got Evan Graci to hit into a fielder's choice to second, but Schiotis scored on the play to double the advantage. Breen then flied out to center, scoring Gentry from third.
Catholic (17-9) cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning with a Nick Clary one-out infield single that plated Pat DeToro. The Cardinals crept closer with another tally in the second as Brendan Breslin scored on a Schiotis error.
Barefoot singled to center to start the fourth and came around on a two-out infield single by Root for a 4-2 SU edge.
Colin Kelly, who came on for Mowatt in the seventh, surrendered three straight RBI base hits with one out to the Sea Gulls. Graci doubled down the right field line to plate Gentry who had singled and stole second. Breen scored Griffith with a single to center and Barefoot singled to left to score Graci for a 7-2 lead.
Two batters later, Ken O'Neill scored Breen with a single to center field of his own.
After Salisbury starter Dylan Anderson went the first 2 2/3 innings on the mound, giving up two unearned runs, five hits and two walks, the SU trio of Oster, Kyle Hamby and Jon Schmedel combined to allow just two hits and one walk while fanning five.
Salisbury hosts Wesley College in a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader at the SU Baseball Field on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.