CNBNews

SALISBURY, MD – Rowan spotted #2 Salisbury an 8-0 lead, and despite rallying late, fell to the Sea Gulls, 10-6, in the first game of the NCAA Division III Baseball Salisbury Super Regional, held at the Sea Gull Baseball Stadium. The teams will meet again on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the Profs needing two wins tomorrow to avoid elimination, with a second game to take place 45 minutes after the conclusion, if necessary. . The winner of the best-of-three series heads to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from June 2 to 8. 

Ryan Murphy and Jason Morgan each went 3-for-5 for the Profs, with Morgan driving in a pair of runs. Anthony Schooley had two RBI, while Chris Curcio, Brian Gallante and Pat Defeciani getting two hits each.  

Trailing 8-0 after four innings, the Profs exploded for five runs on six hits in the seventh inning, to make it an 8-5 game. Gallante led off with a single and Curcio followed with a double. Rowan then rallied with two outs as Schooley hit a two-run double, followed by a single from Dylan Maria. Murphy hit a double down the left field line and Morgan followed with a double of his own to score Murphy and Maria and chase Salisbury starter Jimmy Adkins.  

Salisbury added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice fly and on a Rowan error to build the lead up to 10-5.  

The Profs threatened in the eighth, with two men on, but reliever Brock Hilligoss struck out the final two Rowan batters to keep them scoreless.  

Rowan added to its total with one run in its final at-bat when Murphy and Morgan reached on singles and Pat Defeciani drove home Murphy with a base hit.  

Senior Jason O’Neill (8-3) made the start for Rowan going 6.1 innings and striking out five. Ryan Iovine faced one batter in the seventh, with Jake Reese entering in the same inning and Matt Choi finishing out the game on the mound.  

The Sea Gulls opened the game by scoring five runs on six hits in the first inning, helped by a ground-run double from Danny Sheeler and followed by a two-run double from Jacob Ference. Stephen Rice then singled up the middle to provide the fifth run.  

Salisbury kept it going in the next three innings with a run apiece to increase the lead to 8-0.  

Scott Cameron hit a solo home run in the second and Sheeler connected on one in the fourth. In the third inning, the Cameron Hyder was hit by a pitch to bring a run home.  

The Profs left the bases in the second inning as Adkins shut them down. And then in the eighth, with reliever Brock Hilligoss getting the final out with a strikeout.  

Adkins (6-0) recorded six strikeouts of the Profs, with Salisbury using four relievers with Brian Thalheime picking up the save.