Heading into last week's game against Notre Dame-Green Pond, the closest any opponent came to defeating the Falcons were those very Crusaders.

Back on April 4, the Falcons defeat Notre Dame by a score of 6-1. For a Salisbury team that has won by seven or more runs 12 times this season, the Crusaders were one of just two opponents who have kept it this close. Catasauqua lost to the Falcons by five runs as well just a few weeks ago.

Over a month later, during the Falcons' senior day last Wednesday, it turns out that not much has changed.

Behind a complete-game shutout by Nic Ampietro, who struck out 10 batters and improved to 6-0 on the season, and two Salisbury home runs, the Falcons remained perfect on the season with a 7-1 victory over the Crusaders (11-7 overall; 8-6 in Colonial League).

"It's good because we just keep scoring runs and then we have the great pitching right behind all the runs being scored," said Mason Kresley, who hit the first Falcon home run. "So it's good having something to back up all the runs."

"It's important that we just take it one game at a time and not try to look too far into the future" said Ampietro. "We try to play every game to our best and give it our all."

The offense had little trouble getting going early for the Falcons. After a single by Tyler Cooperman in the bottom of the second, Kresley, who went 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs, connected on a two-run home run that ended up in the woods behind left field to get the offense rolling.

"I was just trying to basically put the ball in play and get something going for the team," said Kresley. "Right when I hit it I was like 'Here we go, time to play ball.'"

"We came out and we hit well," said Ampietro. "A lot of big home runs one from Mason [Kresley] and one from Justin [Aungst]. That really sparked us hitting."

Anthony Dee and Zach Seitz both reached base on back-to-back singles, and Chase Rogers' single scored both of them to make it 4-0 after two innings. Rogers was 2-for-3 at the plate and tallied three RBIs.

Meanwhile, Ampietro, who allowed six hits and one walk, looked impressive on the mound once again.

After giving up a hit and two Crusader base runners in the top of the first, Ampietro started to heat up. He struck out five consecutive batters over the course of the first three innings. He didn't give up another hit until the fifth when the Crusaders scored their only run of the game.

"I was feeling pretty good," said Ampietro. "They have some good hitters on the team. They were making contact with the ball and putting it in play. I was just trying to keep it off speed and keep the balls moving."

Justin Aungst then blasted a solo home run to centerfield to tally another Falcon run in the third. The Falcons added two more runs, one each in the fifth and sixth innings.

Salisbury went on to lose its first game of the season, falling to Wilson, 3-1 on Monday.

The Falcons (17-1 overall; 14-1 in Colonial League) still clinched the South Division title and the top seed in the league playoffs via a Southern Lehigh loss.

Salisbury wraps up its leauge schedule on Wednesday before the Colonial League tournament begins next Tuesday.