SALISBURY, Md. – Playing for the first time in just shy of a year, the ninth-ranked Salisbury University baseball team showed no signs of rust, thrashing the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, 22-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Sea Gull Baseball Stadium.

BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Sea Gulls got their first run on a Jimmy Adkins fielder's choice with the bases loaded. SU then let the Marlins open the floodgates for them in the fourth.
• With two outs and the bases walked loaded, Kavi Caster drew his own free pass to force in another run. After a pitching change, Brandon Bonesteel came home on a wild pitch, and Justin Meekins reached on an error at third that brought home another. Meekins then stole his way to second and third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher, making it a five-run frame and 6-0 Sea Gull lead.
• The teams traded runs over the next three innings, then in the eighth, already up 13-4, Salisbury blew what was left of the doors off. Matt Padeway got things started with a two-run double, then Brady O'Neil singled Padeway home to make it 16-4. Joey Bowers and Adkins strung together singles to load the bases, and Ethan Sarosi took a hit-by-pitch to force in another.
• Adam Tommer clubbed a double to left-center to plate two more. Two batters later, Luke Weddell slashed a two-run single into center. After a Cullen McAuliffe two-sacker, Zach Geesaman brought home Weddell with a sac fly to center, capping the Sea Gull rally at nine runs to give the game its final 22-4 margin.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Clayton Dwyer (1-0) earned the win for the Sea Gulls out of the bullpen, striking out six batters over 2.2 innings of two-run, two-hit ball.
• Justin Meekins ran wild from the leadoff slot, going 1-for-4 with three runs, three stolen bases and an RBI.
• Jimmy Adkins finished 2-for-6 with three runs and an RBI at the plate and also made his first pitching appearance since 2019, tossing a scoreless eighth inning.
• Adam Tommer went 1-for-2 with a double, run and three RBIs in his SU debut.
• Jackson Balzan drew the opening day start for the Sea Gulls, striking out four and allowing one hit with three walks over 1.2 scoreless innings.
• Eight Salisbury pitchers saw action in the game. Xavier Marmol finished the job with a scoreless ninth, striking out one to give the Sea Gulls 13 punchouts on the day.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN GAME NOTES

• Adam Brooks (0-1) took the loss for the Marlins, allowing one run on three hits in three innings.
• Matt Dagostino clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh and finished 1-for-2 to pace the VWU bats.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury now plays host to Chesapeake College in an exhibition doubleheader on Saturday, March 6. The first game is scheduled to go nine innings, while the second will last seven frames.
• First pitch of Game 1 is set for 11 a.m. with coverage beginning on the Sea Gull Sports Network (SGSN) at 10:45 a.m.