The Salisbury baseball team has seen an incredible amount of success in 2013. The Falcons won the Colonial League title and District 11 championship, their second in three years. The offense can score with the best of them, but the phrase "defense wins championships" has never meant more than it has for Salisbury in 2013.

The Falcons pitching staff has been a model of dominance and consistency all year.

Seniors Nic Ampietro and Tyler Cooperman, along with junior Justin Aungst, have played a major role in a 23-win season, with just one blemish to date before the state tournament begins.

"They have pitched so well for us," head coach Mike Pochron said. "They have given us a tremendous year so far. We certainly wouldn't be where we're at without them. They've been very consistent for us all year."

On May 6, the Falcons were 17-0, and all three pitchers were 6-0 on the mound, respectively. Their only blemish was a 5-2 loss at the hands of Wilson.

That loss seemed to have motivated them and the team as a whole. Salisbury rolled through the postseason, snagging two trophies along the way.

Aungst (8-1, 2.01 ERA) pitched two wins in the two district games. He was the starting pitcher on the mound as a freshman when Salisbury won districts in 2011.

Ampietro (8-0, 0.98 ERA) was the winning pitcher in the Colonial League final, and Cooperman (6-0, 0.98 ERA) was reliable every time he was called upon.

"They set the tone by going out and giving a strong outing," noted Pochron. "We knew we would score runs and they would hold the other team down. If we had a slow start hitting, we would still be in game."

Family has been the mantra of this team all season. They are a close squad and pick up one another.

In the district semifinal, Ampietro got the nod on the mound and pitched strong, but the Falcons trailed late. He was eventually relieved by Aungst, who earned the win.

A similar situation happened four days later in the district final. Aungst started and was later relieved by Ampietro, who finished off the win.

Ampietro and Aungst are tied for second in wins in the state at the Class 2A level with eight each. Cooperman is tied for fourth with his six. Ampietro is also second in the state with 70 strikeouts.

With less than two weeks until the state championship, teams will be forced to use a number of different pitchers. Salisbury will believe that they are in a strong position with their staff.