Saturday marked Salisbury’s first Colonial League playoff appearance since the team won the league title back in 2013.

Maybe because of a lack of playoff experience, Saturday’s game against Palisades didn’t get off to the start the Falcons wanted. But after the first inning they controlled the game and came out on top 3-2. It was their first league playoff win since a 6-0 victory on May 16, 2013 earned the Falcons a league title.

Palisades plated two runs in the top of the first inning Saturday at Salisbury High School.

A walk and an error allowed the Pirates’ first two batters to reach base, and both came around to score on a single and a fielder’s choice for a 2-0 lead.

Salisbury starter Austin Spisszak worked his way out of that first inning and allowed just two more hits and three more walks over his six innings. He gave up one earned run and struck out five Pirates to earn the win.

“Recently I’ve been walking a lot of guys, so I’m trying to limit that,” said Spisszak. “It didn’t really work, but I was able to limit hard contact and got good defense behind me. We got the job done.”

Salisbury head coach Justin Aungst was happy to see his ace grind out a win.

“Austin really competed,” said Aungst. “He didn’t have his best stuff today. He was a little out of the strike zone. He stepped up and got us through six and Tommy [Lovelidge] came in and closed the door.”

Salisbury’s offense went to work as soon as it got a chance.

Nate Nunez (2 for 4) got a leadoff single in the bottom of the first before Lovelidge reached base on an error, moving Nunez to third. Jacob Bucchin’s fielder’s choice scored Nunez to cut the deficit in half.

Salisbury took the lead an inning later when Caleb Gonzalez reached base on an error and Markus Jones and Nunez followed with singles to load the bases.

Gonzalez tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch. Jones came home when Bucchin (1 for 3, 2 RBI) singled.

Spisszak, who went 2 for 3 at the plate, settled in over the rest of the game before reaching his pitch limit and giving way to Lovelidge, who pitched a hitless seventh inning.

Salisbury had nine hits in the game and had a few other hard-hit balls that just failed to find holes in the defense. It was something the team was glad to see after getting no-hit in the regular season finale, a 9-0 loss to rival Southern Lehigh.

“Last game was really bad,” said Nunez. “But we were able to bounce back and put the bats on the ball today and win a tough game against Palisades.”

Salisbury’s hopes of earning a league title 11 years after it’s last one ended Monday with a 4-2 loss to No. 2 seed Wilson.

One big inning led to the loss as the Warriors plated all four of their runs in the fourth inning.

Both teams had eight hits in the game and both committed a pair of errors.

Lovelidge, Spisszak and Jake Zellin accounted for six of those hits as they all went 2 for 4 in the loss.

Salisbury (16-4) will be back in action as the No. 2 seed in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs, most likely against No. 7 seed Saucon Valley in the first round of that tournament on Monday, May 20.