Box Score PETERSBURG, Virginia (Feb. 4, 2018) – All weekend, the pitching staff for the Salem University Tigers baseball team struggled with its control until the Tigers ran up against something out of their control: the weather.

The Tigers walked 11 batters, giving up six runs on just three hits in a 6-6 tie that was called after the seventh inning due to rain; ending its three-game series against the Virginia State University Trojans 0-2-1.
Starting pitcher Dillon Champagne walked the first three batters he faced before finding a rhythm, ending the first inning with two strikeouts and escaping with only one run scored against him.

In his 4.2 innings pitched, Champagne played a dangerous game, putting himself in bad situations with nine walked batters before fighting his way out of it in deep pitch counts and five strikeouts. When able to locate his pitches, Champagne was dynamic, moving the ball all over the plate and throwing hitters off balance, giving up just one hit.

Ultimately, that high-wire act caught up with Salem. With a 4-1 lead, the Tigers gave up a five-run fifth inning.

After inducing a flyout to start the inning, Champagne walked the next batter, then got a groundout for a fielder's choice out at first. After Julian White reached on a tricky infield grounder, Champagne walked another batter, loading the bases and ending his evening.

Joshua Delaney entered the game in relief and, after walking in a run, surrendered a bases-clearing, three-RBI single. Jordan Wagner then replaced Delaney, walking one more batter before giving up one more run to give the Trojans a 6-4 lead after five.

Salem had little trouble manufacturing runs all weekend, taking advantage of mistakes, creating offense via small ball tactics, and a touch of power—getting production up and down the entire lineup.

The Tigers struck first, taking advantage of leadoff hitter Jimmy Cramer reaching on an error in the first at-bat of the game. After a walk and a fielder's choice, Josh LaPrest hit a RBI single to give Salem a 1-0 lead.

Salem scored against in the fourth, manufacturing a run when Mateo Gil leadoff with a single, stole second, then advanced to third when Tyler Ault moved him over on a groundout to second base.
Gil scored a pitch later on a passed ball to give Salem a 2-1 lead.

In the fifth, Salem scored two more runs on a two-RBI single to right field from D'Alessandro to right field, scoring Dalton Robison and Andrew Beam.

After giving up the lead, Salem responded with a two-run sixth inning on a RBI double from Thirus Jones and a RBI single from Najay King to tie the game at 6-6.

Logan Persse took the mound to start the bottom off the sixth and threw two solid, three-up, three-down innings by throwing strikes and giving the defense opportunities to make plays.

Tyler D'Alessandro led the Tigers with two RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting and two stolen bases. LaPrest (2-for-4), Jones (1-for-4) and King (1-for-3) had an RBI each.

Salem will have two weeks to prepare for its next opponent with a three-game series from Feb. 17-18 against Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee.