Box Score Salisbury, Md. – No. 4 Salisbury University's four-run eighth inning lifts the top-seeded Sea Gulls to a 7-2 win over the St. Mary's College of Maryland baseball team Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the 2013 Capital Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Tournament.
The sixth-seeded Seahawks (13-22) will now face fifth-seeded York College of Pennsylvania (16-16), who suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of second-seeded University of Mary Washington, in the second round of the CAC Tournament on Friday, April 19 at 9:00 am. The game will be played at Salisbury as the Sea Gulls will serve as the hosts for the remainder of the playoffs.
Salisbury (24-6) opened up with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior leftfielder Nick Gentry (Bel Air, Md.) scored the first run for the Sea Gulls as Gentry came home on a wild pitch after singling to leftfield, advancing to second on a fielder's choice and stealing third. Junior first baseman Quinn Griffith (Federalsburg, Md.) then crossed home plate on senior designated hitter Evan Graci's (Harrisburg, Pa.) single. Griffith had reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch.
The Seahawks weren't down for long as St. Mary's tied up the game with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Senior right fielder Mike Schmidt (Burtonsville, Md./Blake) singled to center field to bring home first-year designated hitter Jared Eaker (Mechanicsville, Md./Leonardtown), who connected on a lead-off single and went to third on junior first baseman Alex Lenovitz's (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) double, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Sophomore centerfielder Paul Roemer (Westminster, Md./Westminster) helped to even the score with a single to drive in Lenovitz. Salisbury turned a double play to end St. Mary's rally.
The bats were quiet for both teams for the next three innings before Salisbury broke the tie with a single run in the sixth inning. Gentry hit an RBI double to left field, scoring junior second baseman Johnny Schiotis (Levittown, Pa.) who reached base after being hit by a pitch as the inning's lead-off hitter and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Salisbury busted the game wide-open with four runs on five hits in the eighth inning. Graci tallied an RBI single to score Gentry while sophomore catcher Austin Barefoot (La Plata, Md.) stroked a two-out, two RBI single to bring home Graci and Griffith before Schiotis' single drove in sophomore third baseman Bobby Sanzone (Forest Hill, Md.), who drew a walk and advanced to third on Barefoot's single.
Sophomore closer Kyle Hamby (Laurel, Md.) faced only four Seahawk batters in the ninth getting the lead-off hitter to ground out before Lenovitz stole a single to right field. Hamby then struck out the next two hitters to end the game.
Eaker and Lenovitz paced the Seahawks at the plate with two hits each while senior starter Devon Jerrard (Hunt Valley, Md./Boys' Latin) took the loss after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Gentry, Graci, and Barefoot each picked up three hits for Salisbury while senior Andrew Levy (Hampstead, Md.) remained undefeated on the season at 8-0 as Levy pitched 8.0 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
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