World Series bound: Salisbury University baseball, softball teams reach big tourneys
Alec BranchTwo Salisbury University squads are headed to the Division III National Championships later this week, as the baseball and softball teams for the Sea Gulls both won their Super Regional matchups over the past weekend to continue their seasons.
SU baseball and softball, two of the top-ranked teams in the country respectively, each hosted the Super Regionals on their home field last week, and each would grab a two-game sweep in the best-of-three series to send the softball team to Texas and the baseball team back to Iowa for the Division III National Championships.
Sea Gulls softball squad to travel to Texas to compete in World Series
The softball team hosted Lebanon Valley in the Super Regionals, winning the first game 3-1 behind a complete game from pitcher Lindsey Windsor, who struck out seven batters on the day and only allowed four hits. Offensively for the Sea Gulls, things got going in the fourth inning with a Natalie Paoli RBI double that got them on the board and tied the game after Lebanon Valley had taken a one-run lead earlier in the fourth. Emily Stockman's RBI single in the fifth would give them a 2-1 lead and Carrie Jacoby would add one more RBI single in the sixth inning.
The second game of the series would be the clincher for SU, with Savannah Sheats pitching a shutout and the Sea Gulls scoring four runs to grab the 4-0 win and a spot in the National Championships.
Next up for the Sea Gulls softball squad, who are the top-ranked team left, is a trip to Marshall, Texas. A first-round matchup against the eighth-seeded Moravian Greyhounds awaits them on Thursday, as they look for the program's first National Championship.
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Baseball squad seeking second national title in three years
The baseball team will be traveling back to Iowa for a chance at their second National Championship in three years after they defeated Rowan in the Super Regionals this past weekend.
SU defeated Rowan 10-6 in the first game of the series, with home runs from Danny Sheeler and Cameron Scott putting runs on the board. Sheeler's home run also tied him for the most in school history for a single season. They would get off to an 8-0 lead, and held off a Rowan comeback.
For much of the second game of the series, it looked as though SU would be forced to play a deciding third game as they found themselves down by as many as eight runs. But a massive comeback in the final two innings sealed the deal for the Sea Gulls.
The Sea Gulls would score 12 runs in the final two innings, winning 17-12 behind a massive offensive explosion when they needed it most. In the game, Jacob Ference would join his teammate Sheeler atop the school's record book for most homers in a single season.
The baseball team grabbed the second seed out of the remaining teams, and will face East Texas Baptist in the first round of the National Championships on Friday.
The baseball and softball teams for SU will try to add more hardware to the university's trophy case in the coming weeks after the men's lacrosse team won its 13th National Championship on May 28.