No. 6 Salisbury edges Panthers 9-8
April 4, 2008

SALISBURY, Md. – Sixth-ranked Salisbury (26-1) held off LaGrange for a 9-8 win Friday. The game was the final one of the Spring Break trip for the Panthers (17-12), who went 3-1.

The win extended the Sea Gulls' nation-best winning streak to 26 games. The Panthers' Michael Sims had to two hits in the loss to push his hitting streak to 25 games. Salisbury's Randy Boyle went 0-for-4 to end his own 26-game hitting streak.

The Panthers finished the game with 13 hits. Jose Navarro was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs. Seth Tucker had two hits, including a home run. Robbie Shelton and Blake Allen also had two hits each.

Cody Belt (4-3) took the loss for the Panthers. He allowed all nine runs, eight earned, in 4-1/3 innings. Belt walked five and struck out one. Jeff Tucker pitched 3-2/3 scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Tucker staked the Panthers to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. He went the opposite way to right field for his third home run of the season. Salisbury came right back in its half of the inning with four runs to go up 4-1.

The Panthers tied the game in the top of the second inning. Trey Walker drove in the first run with a single, scoring Shelton, who had led off the inning with a single of his own. Navarro's sacrifice fly plated Blake Allen to make it 4-3. Sims followed with a single down the left field line to score Jesse Brown from second to tie the game.

Trailing 6-5, the Panthers retook the lead in the fifth inning. The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs on hits by Shelton and Brown sandwiched around a walk to Allen. Navarro singled to center with one out to drive in Shelton and Allen for a 7-6 lead.

The Sea Gulls came right back with three runs in their half of the fifth. Tyler Riley had the big blow, a two-run home run to right for an 8-7. Tucker relieved Belt after a walk. He walked Mike Celenza with the bases loaded to force a run to make it 9-7.

The Panthers closed within a run in the seventh inning. Brown was hit by a pitch with one out. Tyson Sandlin, running for Brown, stole second and moved over to third on a ground out. Navarro drove in Sandlin with a hit through the right side.

The Panthers threatened in the ninth inning. Shelton reached on an error to lead off the inning. Pinch-hitter Brandon Mahoney also reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Kyle Judson (2-0) got Walker to hit into a game-ending double play.

Judson, the third Salisbury pitcher of the day, struck out eight and did not walk a batter. He allowed just one run and a hit in 4-2/3 innings of work.

The Panthers travel to Emmanuel for a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 3 p.m.