For Immediate Release · By Monica Vega · mvega@smcm.edu

Salisbury, Md. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland baseball team (5-8, 0-3 CAC) fell twice in Capital Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon. Salisbury University (9-5, 2-0 CAC) notched 16-5 and 2-1 wins as the Sea Gulls opened up conference play.

St. Mary's 5, Salisbury 16
Game 1
How It Happened

• First-year Zach Thompson (West River, Md./Spalding) would lead the Seahawks on the mound, pitching five innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. However, Thompson would experience his first loss of the season, falling to 3-1.
• Salisbury would take an early lead with four runs in the second inning and then take a 6-0 advantage with two more in the third.
• Following three scoreless innings, the Seahawks would get on board in the seventh as senior designated hitter Colin Thatcher (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) doubled to right center to drive in junior catcher Matt Bieler (Bowie, Md./Bowie).
• The Sea Gulls would respond with a 10-run scoring rally in the bottom of the seventh.
• The Seahawks would gain momentum in the top of the eighth with four runs.
• First-year first baseman Jay Hammett (Coltons Point, Md./Chopticon) singled to centerfield, advancing senior infielder Zach Rowe (Davidsonville, Md./Calvert Hall) to third and bringing home first-year centerfielder Isaiah Braxton (Baltimore, Md./Gilman). Rowe would then score on a wild pitch.
• Bieler would have the last hit of the game as he singled to second base, scoring first-year Hammett for the fourth run of the game. The final run would come when sophomore second baseman Bennett Garner (Bowie, Md./Bowie) crossed home plate on another wild pitch.
• Salisbury's senior RHP Jeff Oster (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.) would receive the win with 10 strikeouts and no walks in 7.0 innings.

St. Mary's 1, Salisbury 2
Game 2
How It Happened

• The Seahawks would strike first with a run in the top of the third inning. Sophomore right fielder Dakota Merritt (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills), who doubled down leftfield line in the ninth hole, would come home on a two-out single by Rowe for a 1-0 Seahawk lead.
• Salisbury would respond quickly in its half of the third as Pete Grasso (Wilmington, Del./AI DuPont) tripled down the right field line, scoring Justin Meekins (Berlin, Md./Stephan Decatur) to tie the game.
• The Sea Gulls would take the game in the fifth inning as Tom LaBriola (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) drove in Meekins for the game-winning run with an infield single to second.
• In his fourth appearance of the season, senior LHP Ben Goldsmith (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) threw a complete game with four walks and two strikeouts while giving up two runs on six hits.
• The Sea Gulls' senior RHP Brad Keith (Millersville, Md./DeMatha Catholic) improved to 3-2 with the win as Keith tallied four strikeouts and three walks in 5.0 innings.

Up Next for the Seahawks
The Seahawks will be back in action on Wednesday, March 15 as they host York College of Pennsylvania in Capital Athletic Conference action at 3:30 p.m.

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