SALISBURY, Md. – The Elizabethtown College baseball team dropped two games to #5 Salisbury, 6-4 and 15-2, in non-conference action Sunday afternoon.
With the two losses, the Blue Jays slip to 4-8 on the season, while the Sea Gulls improve to 10-5.
GAME ONE: SALISBURY 6 ELIZABETHTOWN 4
A furious rally in the eighth inning came up short for Etown, falling 6-4 to Salisbury in game one of the doubleheader.
The Blue Jays were led by graduate student Andrew Fisher, going 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Senior Robbie Bertucio tallied Etown's lone RBI, while juniors Ben Watson and Chris McGill and senior Tyler McGonigle each finished with a run scored.
The Sea Gulls were paced by junior Kavi Caster, going 2-5 with a double and two runs scored.
Trailing 6-1 at the end of four innings, the Blue Jays began to battle back in the top of the eighth. Senior Eamon McCoubrey led off the inning with a single up the middle and then McGill entered the game to pinch run. A few batters later, Fisher singled up the middle as well, putting runners at first and third with one out. After a strikeout, Watson stepped in and reached on an error by the second baseman, plating Fisher and McGill to cut the deficit to three. Bertucio then kept the rally going, knocking a single to center field, scoring Watson from second and bringing the tying run to the plate.
That, however, would be the final run of the game for Etown, as Salisbury managed to find the final out of the inning and struck out the side in the ninth to register the 6-4 win.
Graduate student Tyler Dunbar (1-3) started the game for Etown, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out three. Freshman Kyle Mulville pitched four innings in relief, giving up one hit and striking out two.
Junior Jackson Balzan (2-1) earned the win for Salisbury, pitching 7.2 innings, allowing three unearned runs on four hits and striking out nine. Senior Corey Burton registered his first save of the season, pitching a perfect 1.1 innings with three strikeouts. The Sea Gulls pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts.
GAME TWO: SALISBURY 15 ELIZABETHTOWN 2
Salisbury opened up game two with 12 runs over the fourth, fifth, and sixth inning to take game two, 15-2.
Freshman RJ Agriss highlighted game two for Etown, going 2-2, while sophomores Garrett Schwartzback and JM Musser each tallied runs scored. McCoubrey and McGonigle each finished with an RBI.
Freshman Ben Anderson paced the Sea Gulls, going 3-6 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored.
Trailing by two runs after the first inning, the Blue Jays cut the deficit in half in the top of the second. Schwartzbeck led off the inning with a single and then stole second to move into scoring position with no outs. A sacrifice bunt by Agriss moved Schwartzbeck over to third, bringing McCoubrey to the plate with one out. The senior then brought Schwartzbeck around to score, grounding out to shortstop, to make sure the 2-1 heading into the bottom of the second.
The Sea Gulls, however, would take control of the game moving forward, outscoring Etown 13-1, to take game two 15-2.
Junior Nicholas Ortega (0-3) started game two for the Blue Jays, allowing four earned runs on four hits and striking out three over four innings.
Freshman Mitchell Wittkamp (1-1) earned his first win of the season, allowing one run on three hits and striking out one over five innings.
Elizabethtown is back on action on Wednesday, March 16 at York. Opening pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
