SALISBURY, Md. – After a delayed start, the eighth-ranked Salisbury University softball team collected a pair of wins of Wednesday over the defending national champion and second-ranked Virginia Wesleyan Marlins. The Sea Gulls used a three-run fifth inning to take the opener, 4-2, over the Marlins. Battling darkness, Salisbury picked up the 7-0 win over VWU in the nightcap after the game was called in the fifth inning.

BOX SCORE – GAME 1
BOX SCORE – GAME 2
PHOTOS
HIGHLIGHTS

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• After the game was delayed an hour due to the morning rain and field conditions, Caitlin Myers put the Marlins on the board first in the top of the first inning when she hit a solo home run just over the outstretched glove of Jillian Dawson in left field.
• Salisbury answered in the bottom half of the inning. Abby Mace roped a triple to right-center before Natalie Paoli brought her home on an RBI groundout to tie the game at one.
• Virginia Wesleyan regained the one-run lead in the top of the fourth when Jaya Diggs-Hagwood blooped a single to shallow right field to plate Ashley Boothe with two outs in the frame.
• Salisbury responded with its own two-out magic in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mace launched a home run over the center-field fence to tie the game at two. Two batters later, Paoli hit the eventual game-winner with a two-run shot to left field.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES – GAME 1

• Abby Mace went 2-for-3 in the leadoff spot. Mace hit her first home run and fourth triple of the season in the opener. She also added two runs scored.
• Natalie Paoli drove in three of Salisbury's four runs and hit her first homer of the season.
• Savannah Sheats (W, 2-0) collected the win in five innings of work. She scattered six hits, struck out three, walked two and allowed two runs.
• Lindsey Windsor (SV, 1) finished out the final two innings for her first save of the season and third of her career.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Mace led the game off with a walk and advanced to third on a steal and a wild pitch. Two batters later, Paoli laid down a squeeze bunt to score Mace from third to give the Sea Gulls the early 1-0 lead in the first.
• Salisbury nearly batted around in the bottom of the second inning. After Mace was walked with the bases loaded, Carly Galbraith pinched hit and cleared the bases with a triple to center field. Paoli followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 6-0.
• The Sea Gulls tacked on an insurance run in the third inning when Mace was walked again with the bases loaded to score Maddison Lednum from third to extend the SU lead to 7-0.
• The game was called for darkness in the middle of the fifth inning.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES – GAME 2

• Carly Galbraith knocked in three with her bases-clearing triple in the second. Galbraith has driven in five runs on two of her first collegiate hits.
• Lauren Meyers went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate.
• Abby Mace did not register an at-bat in the nightcap as she walked all three times she came to the plate. But, Mace drove in two runs and scored twice.
• Maddison Lednum also scored twice in the win.
• Natalie Paoli plated two runs in two at-bats.
• Nicole Ortega (W, 2-0) earned the victory with three strikeouts and only allowed three hits in four innings.

UP NEXT

• Salisbury will host No. 9 Rochester and No. 10 TCNJ in a tri-match on Saturday. Feb. 26.
• The Sea Gulls will open the tri with Rochester at 10:30 a.m. at Sea Gull Softball Stadium.

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 186 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.

To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.