SALISBURY, Md. – The Arcadia University baseball team dropped a pair of close contests at nationally-ranked Salisbury University, dropping game-one 7-6 before falling in game-two 8-5. The Gulls are ranked fourth in Division III by D3Baseball.com.
The lead changed five times in game one, with Arcadia taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh on senior
Nick Todero's single up the middle that scored freshman
Bryan Gillen from third following his lead-off triple to center field. That lead didn't last long though as Salisbury scored a pair of runs off a single down the right field line from Tom LaBroia and a sac fly from Robbie Jones.
The Knights put up a pair of runs in the first, with Gillen scoring on a wild pitch before junior
Jordan Draude scored on a single to center off the bat of senior
Michael Nessel. Arcadia later scored three times in fifth to go up 5-2; Nessel drove in two runs with a double down the line in left and then scored on senior
George Pagan's single up the middle.
The Gulls scored three times in the fourth to take their first lead of the game, 3-2, and then pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth to tie the score at 5-5. LaBriola drove in one run in both innings, and crossed the plate himself in the fourth.
Jon Schmedel (1-0) picked up the win after allowing one hit over two scoreless innings of relief, while Pete Grasso picked up his first save of the year after a scoreless ninth. LaBriola was 2 for 3 with one run scored and three driven in, while Tyler Hrycak was 2 for 3 with a pair of run s scored.
Sophomore
Connor Laigiae (0-1) took the loss for Arcadia after giving up two runs in the seventh. Nessel finished the game 2 for 4 with three runs driven in and one scored, while Todero was 2 for 5 with one run scored and one driven in. Gillen was 2 for 5 and scored a pair of runs.
Game-two was tied at 4-4 after both teams scored a run in the second and plated three runs each in the third. Arcadia took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth as Todero scored on senior
Connor Arsenault's sac fly, but the Gulls struck for four runs in the bottom of the frame for the 8-5 final. Kevin Dean tied the game with a double to the gap in right center before Jack Barry cleared the bases with his double to right.
A.J. Korczynski evened his record at 1-1 after giving up one run in two innings of relief, while Ryan Daiss earned his first save of the year with a scoreless seventh and final frame. Sophomore
Mike Boulanger fell to 0-1 after giving up six runs in four and two-third innings.
The Knights are off until March 6 when they open play at the inaugural Clemente Cup against Susquehanna.
