Box ScoreMARIETTA, Ohio — Salisbury senior Quinn Griffith is well aware that his baseball career is winding down, so he's trying to enjoy every at-bat and every inning.
The way he's played through two games of the 2014 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, Griffith is displaying nothing but unabashed joy as he continues to crush baseballs all over Don Schaly Stadium.
"You want to ride the wave when you're hot and you have to grind through things when you are struggling. Fortunately I'm kind of riding the wave right now. Hopefully it continues for me," said Griffith, who has seven hits through two games. "I can honestly say I'm having some fun."
Griffith went 4-for-5, including a two-run home run, to lead the Sea Gulls (35-7) past Case Western Reserve 6-2 Saturday afternoon. Salisbury will face Widener, who is also 2-0 in the regional, at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Salisbury coach Doug Fleetwood is clearly excited with where his team sits after two games.
"Every time you win you subtract a bunch of games you don't need to play to win this," he said. "When you lose it gets tough because it takes so many wins to get back through the bracket."
Fleetwood is also pleased with the pitching performance turned in by junior Dan Fein, who scattered 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings.
"We needed Dan to get us deep and he did," Fleetwood said.
Fein (8-1) now has a win and a save in the tournament.
"I felt good today. I felt comfortable on the mound and ready to go," Fein said. "It was good to be fresh after we got a little rain. We came out with some energy. I was nothing without the defense today. They played solid all the way around."
Salisbury was outhit by CWRU 14-8, but the Sea Gulls made their hits count. Griffith had an RBI single in the first inning after Kyle Hayman reached on an error to start the game.
CWRU (31-11) scored a run in the third when Kerrigan Cain belted a long fly ball that right fielder Kyle Hayman bobbled and dropped after running into the fence. Andrew Frey scored on the play, but Cain ran past Andrew Gronski who had started to retreat to first base. Cain was called out on the play for the second out, while Gronski advanced to third.
The next batter, Jordan Swisher grounded out to end the inning and the game remained tied at 1.
Salisbury didn't waste any time answering back, though. Bobby Sanzone reached on an error by shortstop Frey and Jordan Gowe smacked a towering home run to left giving the Seagulls a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
The Sea Gulls added to their lead in the seventh when Quinn Griffith hit a two-run homer to left on Connor Tagg's second pitch after coming in for relief.
CWRU threatened in the eighth inning by loading the bases against starter Dan Fein, but reliever Jon Schmedel coaxed a routine double-play ball out of Antonio Damiano to end the threat and preserve the four-run lead going into the ninth.
The Spartans (31-11) loaded the bases again in the ninth inning, and managed one run, but Kyle Hamby got the final outs for his eighth save.
"I wanted to get Hamby back out there after his rough outing on Wednesday," Fleetwood said.
CRWU starter Kevin Johnstone gave up five hits and two earned runs as he dropped to 4-3 on the season.
William Meador went 3-for-5, while Frey, Gronski and Cain all had two hits.
"We got a lot of hits but it's not a hit contest. It's a run contest," said CWRU coach Matt Englander. "I think they did a good job of getting big hits when they needed to."
