Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PETERSBURG, Va. (Feb. 3, 2018) – On a frozen opening day, with cold so biting it ate away the feeling in your fingertips, the Salem University Tigers baseball team struggled on the mound, blowing big leads in a pair of 10-9 losses to the Virginia State University Trojans in a double header. 

Both games featured wild momentum shifts within the span of an inning and ended in extra-inning, walk-off fashion.
Game 1

Salem University struck first in the series, taking advantage of a walk and a pair of Virginia State errors, walking Dillon Champagne to lead off the inning and allowing Isaiah Arroyo to reach on an error by third baseman Julian White to put runners on first and second.

Dalton Robison beat a throw to first on a choppy grounder and Dylan Frawley knocked the first run of the game in on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop to put Robison out at second.

Two batters later, Tyler Ault hit a RBI single to give Salem a 2-0 lead.

The Trojans answered in the next inning when a leadoff single from Julian White eventually scored on a sacrifice fly hit by DelMarcus Talley to bring trim the Tigers' lead to 2-1 heading into the third.

Taking the mound for Salem's first start of the season, Brendan Case struggled with control at times, walking six batters, losing a few after getting ahead in the count. But the Tigers' pitcher battled for five innings, grinding his way out jams and giving up two hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts before leaving in the sixth.

Salem appeared to break the game open in the sixth inning, capitalizing on a leadoff error when Champagne's grounder to the pitcher was overthrown to first, advancing him to third. Arroyo then knocked him in with a RBI single to left field.

After another single and out on a fielder's choice, freshman Mateo Gill blasted a three-run homerun to left field, punctuating what would be a five-run sixth inning for a 7-1 lead.

The Tigers turned to the bullpen after Case gave up a leadoff double and walk to start the bottom of the sixth and Salem surrendered six runs in the inning to tie the game at 7-7.

Salem retook the lead with a two-out RBI single, scoring Najay King, who reached on a walk, and Noah Suarez.
After giving up a leadoff double to start the seventh inning, the Tigers threw three consecutive strikeouts, but allowed one of them to reach on a passed ball by the catcher. VSU capitalized after another single from Keyon Smith, getting a two-RBI walk-off single to left field from Devin Walker to end the game.

Gil led the Tigers in scoring with three RBI and one run scored, hitting 2-for-4. Robison was 3-for-4 with one run scored. Tyler Ault was 3-for-3 with a double, RBI, and run scored.

Game 2

For seven innings, Virginia State University matched Salem's run production inning by inning, biding its time until the eighth inning when three walks and a balk ended the game with another Trojan 10-9 victory.

Salem University had an explosive six-run third inning, leading it off with back-to-back singles from Gil and Ault before back-to-back walks gave the Tigers a one-run lead. After a King two-RBI single to right field, Josh LaPrest hit a towering opposite field shot to right for a three-run home run and a 6-0 lead.

Starting pitcher Carson Ellis struggled in the third, walking three and giving up a double before being replaced by Logan Persse, who walked another run in and gave up a double, sacrifice fly, double and single as part of a six-run third inning.

Gil led off the fourth inning with another homerun—his second in two games—and the Trojans answered back with a RBI from Sewer.

Sewer answered a one-run Tigers' seventh inning with a solo homerun, crushing the ball to right field to even the game at 8-8.

Jimmy Cramer hit a RBI single to left field to give the Tigers a brief 9-8 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Salem melted down in the eighth with two outs in their pocket, ending the game when a balk advanced a runner to home.

LaPrest led the Tigers with three RBI off his three-run blast for his lone hit of the game. King was 1-for-3 with two RBI before a leg injury took him out of the game. Gil was 3-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored.

The Tigers and Trojans will resume action Sunday at noon.