The Salisbury baseball team suffered a season opening loss to Allen and then held on to beat Dieruff 5-4. Since then, they lost an extra-inning game against Northwestern Lehigh (2-0, 3-0) by a 4-3 score and had their game with Northern Lehigh (0-2, 0-3) suspended by rain.

The game against the Tigers was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Tigers put runners on first and second with one out. Senior Sam Mauro ended it abruptly when he singled to center on an 0-1 pitch to score the runner from second and end the game.

After Northwestern, which is coached by Salisbury alum Chad Cooperman, took a 3-0 lead, the Falcons tied the game in the top of the fifth.

Nate Nunez and Austin Spisszak opened the inning with walks to put runners on first and second. Jake Zellin came on to run for Spisszak and he and Nunez pulled off a double steal. Mike Stauffer then reached on an infield single that plated Nunez. A walk to Jordan Tocci loaded the bags with nobody out. A fielder’s choice by Caleb Gonzalez plated Zellin and left runners on first and third. Gonzalez quickly stole second, but neither runner could advance on a fly ball by Thomas Lovelidge, leaving two men on with two out. Matt Stauffer then singled to drive in the tying run, but Salisbury was unable to do any further damage.

Owen Fogel started and threw four-and-a-third innings, giving up just one hit but walking nine batters that resulted in three runs, two of them earned. Lovelidge relieved Fogel in the fifth and went the rest of the way to take the loss, giving up three hits and one walk over three innings of work.

The win over Dieruff (0-2 EPC, 0-3 overall) started the other way with the Falcons holding a 5-1 lead before the Huskies put up three runs in the sixth to cut the lead.

The Falcons (0-1 Colonial, 1-2 overall) put three first-inning runs on the board. Tocci singled and Gonzalez reached on an error. Lovelidge singled to left where the ball was misplayed, allowing both runners to score and Lovelidge to go to second before a wild pitch moved him to third. Nate Nunez then reached on an infield single with Lovelidge scoring on the play to make it 3-0.

Dieruff got a run back in the bottom of the inning against starter Owen Fogel, but in the top of the fifth, Salisbury expanded their lead to 5-1 when Gonzalez again reached on an error and Lovelidge followed with a bunt single.

One out later, Jake Bucchin doubled to drive in Gonzalez and Fogel delivered a sacrifice fly to center for the second run of the inning.

Up 5-4, Salisbury went quietly in the top of the seventh and Nate Nunez came on to pitch the bottom of the inning and allowed a leadoff walk before settling in and retiring the side to preserve the win.

In the Northern Lehigh (0-2, 0-3) game, the Falcons plated two runs in the bottom of the third and had bases loaded with two outs and Gonzalez stepping to the plate when the rain caused the game to be suspended.

The inning started innocently enough with the first two batters being retired, when Bucchin came to the plate and hammered a 1-0 pitch out to left field. Stauffer then singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Tocci to put Salisbury up 4-0.

The first two runs had come in the bottom of the first when Nate Nunez walked and stole second ahead of an RBI single from Lovelidge who then stole second and scored on an RBI single from Matt Nunez.

In the early going, Matt Nunez is leading the team in hitting with a .500 (4-for-8) batting average and Nate Nunez is batting .333 (3-for-9). Seven different players have each driven in at least one run with Lovelidge and Gonzalez sharing the team lead with two RBI. On the mound, Lovelidge has a 1.83 ERA and Fogel has a 1-0 record and a 2.25 ERA.

Salisbury plays at Southern Lehigh (1-0, 1-0) Thursday before hosting Palmerton (2-0, 4-0) on Saturday and then playing at Catasauqua (0-2, 0-2) on Monday.