Box Score Photos

Appleton, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team earned a 7-3 victory over fifth-ranked Salisbury University (Md.) Friday night in an opening round game in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.  The Eagles, making their first appearance in the NCAA Division III World Series, improves to 34-13 on the year in tying a single-season school record for victories.  UW-L also won 34 games in 2012.  Salisbury (Md.), in its fifth career appearance and second straight in the NCAA III Championships, falls to 33-5-1 on the year.

UW-L, ranked 22nd on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Poll, advances to play Emory University (Ga.) Saturday, May 23 at 7:45 p.m.  Emory (Ga.) earned a 9-7 win over Trinity University (Texas) Friday night.  Salisbury faces Trinity (Texas) Saturday, May 23 at 4:30 p.m. in an elimination game.

UW-L, playing Salisbury (Md.) for the first time in school history, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning Friday night without hitting a ball out of the infield.  Bryce Barsness reached on a Salisbury (Md.) fielding error to start the inning and advanced to second on Shane Adler's sacrifice bunt.  Adler reached first on the play after a throwing error by the pitcher.  Travis Buxton-Verstegen's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third.  Joel Zyhowski followed with a bunt single to drive in Barsness to give UW-L a 1-0 lead.  Adler then scored on Eric Vatch's fielder's choice for a 2-0 lead.

The Eagles added to their lead with three runs in the top of the fifth with Barsness starting the rally again.  He walked to open the frame and scored on Buxton-Verstegen's double to right center field to give UW-L a 3-0 advantage.  Zyhowski's single moved to Buxton-Verstegen to third  and a sacrifice fly from Vatch scored Buxton-Verstegen for a 4-0 lead.  Alex Cordova finished the scoring in the inning with a double to left center to knock in Zyhowski.

Cordova tripled to start the seventh inning and scored on Justin Anderson's sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead.

Salisbury (Md.), ranked fifth on the ABCA Poll, cut the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh.  Kyle Goodwin starting the rally with a single to left field and advanced to second after Pete Grasso's one-out walk.  Jordan Gowe followed with an RBI single to knock in Goodwin to get the Sea Gulls on the board.  Grasso moved to third on the single and scored on Bobby Sanzone's sacrifice fly to make it 6-2. 

Each team scored a run in the ninth. Cordova singled after a dropped foul ball by Salisbury (Md.), the Sea Gulls' fourth error of the contest.  Taylor Kohlwey followed with a single moving Cordova to third, who then scored on an Anderson single.  Salisbury (Md.) scored its run in the ninth as Kyle Hayman scored on a Sanzone infield single.  Both runs in the inning were unearned.

Ben Cejka (8-2) earned the win for UW-L, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and six walks while striking out nine.  With the victory. Cejka tied Jack Gurholt's (1976-79) school record for career wins with 18.  Cejka also became UW-L's career leader in strikeouts with 191, breaking Tom Klattwitter's (1977-80) school record of 185.  Cejka moved into second in career innings with 234.1.  Tim Verthein (2009-13) is the school's career leader with 235.0.

Caleb Boushley pitched 2.0 innings in relief Friday, allowing two hits and one run (unearned) with one strikeout.

The Eagles finished with nine hits as Cordova went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.  Buxton-Verstegen and Zyhowski each went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.  Anderson had two RBI while Barsness scored twice.

Brett Collacchi (6-3) suffered the loss for Salisbury (Md.), going 8.0 innings, allowing six hits, six runs (four earned) and three walks while striking out four.

The Sea Gulls finished with eight hits with Hayman going 3-for-5 with a run scored.  Gowe finished 2-for-5 with an RBI while Goodwin went 2-for-4 with a run. Sanzone had two RBI.

UW-L returns to action Saturday, May 23 against Emory University (Ga.) starting at 7:45 p.m.