Box ScoreMARIETTA, Ohio – The Sea Gulls are flying high.
The Salisbury University Sea Gulls defeated the Case Western Reserve University Spartans in comeback fashion, 3-2, to capture the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championship and punch a ticket to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship in Appleton, Wis.
"You got to keep banging, pitch a little bit and play defense," Salisbury coach Doug Fleetwood said. "We kept ourselves close, we chipped away and the kids never gave up and did a great job."
Brett Collachi pitched eight innings of two run, ten hit baseball to pick up the win for the Sea Gulls (37-7). Collachi gave up two runs in the fifth inning, but were able to keep the Spartans in check, allowing just two hits the rest of the way. The junior, right hander started the opening game of the tournament for Salisbury, a win over John Carroll University and was also named to the All-Tournament team.
"All we had to do was battle," Collachi said. "We knew it was going to be a close one. Fastball control is always big for me. As long as I hit both sides of the plate and I am consistent throwing strikes."
"He's 12-1," Fleetwood said of Collachi. "He's a gamer. He'll go after you and fight you and he did that today."
Teammate Quinn Griffith also praised Collachi's performance. "Collachi went out there and threw a heck of a game for us. He kept us in there and threw some zeroes up on the board."
Kyle Hamby pitched a perfect ninth inning to nail down the save. His ninth of the season.
A game John Fortunato (8-3) was tagged with the loss for the Spartans. The senior threw eight innings of three run, four hit baseball. The CWRU defense did not help Forunato's cause on Monday. The defense committed five errors, four in the last two innings making two of three runs given up by Fortunato unearned.
"John (Fortunato) was great," Case Western coach Matt Englander said. "That was what we expected out of him."
The two pitchers traded zeroes on the scoreboard for the first four innings. In the fifth frame, CWRU (34-12) broke through with a pair of runs. William Meador singled to center field, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kerrigan Cain. Andrew Frey reached on a fielder's choice, was sacrificed to second and scampered home on Jordan Sherman's single.
Salisbury answered with a run in the sixth. Pete Grasso reached base via a fielder's choice. He was advanced the third on a single by, 2014 Mideast Regional Most Outstanding Player, Quinn Griffith. Grasso scored on a suicide squeeze bunt off the bat of John Schiotis.
Another Salisbury run was added in the seventh frame. Jordan Gowe led off reaching base on a fielding error, was sacrificed to second, went to third on a fly out and scored on another error.
The winning run was plated in the eighth inning for Salisbury. Kyle Hayman reached base, on what was one of his three singles, to lead off the inning and advanced to second when the catcher threw the ball past the first baseman. Hayman was sacrificed to third and scored on an error. Hayman was the only Sea Gull with multiple hits in the Championship game.
The next stop for the Sea Gulls: Appleton, Wis. "Appleton here we come." Griffith said. Griffith also made the trip to Appleton as a freshman. "It's been a long time coming, but we going to get on a plane ride back to Wisconsin."
2014 Mideast Regional All-Tournament TeamDesignated Hitter: William Meador, Case Western Reserve
Catcher: Chris Winpigler, Marietta
First Base: Quinn Griffith, Salisbury
Second Base: Kerrigan Cain, Case Western Reserve
Third Base: Andrew Gronski, Case Western Reserve
Shortstop: Nicholas Enos, Widener
Outfield: Aaron Cain, Case Western Reserve
Outfield: Jordan Dague, Case Western Reserve
Outfield: Kyle Hayman, Salisbury
Pitcher: Dan Fein, Salisbury
Pitcher: Brett Collacchi, Salisbury
Most Outstanding Player: Quinn Griffith, Salisbury
