VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Wesleyan enjoyed highlights pitching and defensively Tuesday, but hitting eluded the Marlins from the start in a 9-0 loss to No. 9 ranked Salisbury University at Marlins Field.

It was a different situation from the first meeting between the teams a week earlier when Salisbury needed two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull out a 5-3 victory.  Virginia Wesleyan outhit the Sea Gulls 7-6 in that one.

In the rematch it was all Salisbury however, as the Gulls connected for 13 hits and held the Marlins to just two.  Senior Ken Belgrave (Norfolk/Maury) and sophomore Scott Montgomery (Virginia Beach/Tallwood) both had a single each for VWC.

Salisbury pitcher Andrew Levy (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) picked up the win, as he allowed just one hit, while striking out four batters in 7.2 innings of work.  He faced 25 batters.  Danny Druzgala (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. St. Joseph's) finished, facing six batters.  He gave up one hit and struck out two.

Sophomore Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) started on the mound for VWC and worked 5.1 innings. He struck out four batters, walked three and gave up nine hits and five runs, including three earned runs.  RookieSean Greiser (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam), sophomore Wes Carmichael (Manteo, N.C./Manteo) and junior Kevin Jeff (Virginia Beach/Cairo American, Egypt) all followed. They combined to walk six, allow four hits and give up four runs.

Salisbury took the lead with a two run second inning and tacked on two more runs in the third.  The Marlins managed to get out of a couple bases loaded situations, but could not find the bats to produce the hits and runs to rally.

Quinn Griffth (Federalsburg, Md./North Caroline) led Salisbury with three hits, including a double.

Virginia Wesleyan will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Sunday, Feb. 24, with a pair of non-conference doubleheaders.  The Marlins face New York's Post Univesity on Saturday beginning at noon and Pennsylvania's Neumann University starting at 11:30 a.m.

--AMDG--