SALISBURY, Md. (February 18, 2007) – Senior Ryan Birkenstock (Smithville, N.J.) and freshman Russ Grimes (South Brunswick, N.J.) collected two hits apiece, but the Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team was unable to push any runs across the board as the Ducks opened the 2007 season with a 5-0 loss to 26th-ranked Salisbury University on Sunday at Sea Gull Field in Salisbury, Md. Sunday’s action was supposed to be a doubleheader, but the second game was cancelled due to the extremely cold weather in Maryland.
Junior Scott Picerno (Bayonne, N.J.) took the loss as he allowed three runs and six hits while walking one batter and striking out one in five innings of work. Sophomore Bill Jennings (Southampton, N.J.) surrendered one hit, two walks and an unearned run in two innings for the Ducks (0-1). Junior Chris Burgess (Palisades Park, N.J.) gave up two hits and one run in the eighth inning.
Senior Andrew Jensen (Millersville, Md.) had two hits and scored a run for Salisbury, which has now won three straight games to run its record to 3-1 on the year. Junior Brian Camper (Wilmington, Del.) added a double and scored two runs. Junior Ryan Bennick (Wind Gap, Pa.) picked up his first win of the season as he limited Stevens to just three hits over six innings. Senior Dan Oleynik (Columbia, Md.) threw the final three innings to earn the save.
The Ducks had a chance to jump on top in the first inning, but Birkenstock grounded out with two runners on and two outs. The Sea Gulls came right back in their first turn at-bat and got things going as senior Colin Kraus (Easton, Md.) doubled down the right-field line. He later scored on a double-steal that involved Jensen.
Salisbury tacked on another run in the fourth inning as senior Pete Callahan (Newark, Del.) doubled home junior Justin Arminger (Brandywine, Md.). The Sea Gulls would later add single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.
Trailing 4-0 in the top of the seventh, Stevens had a chance to get back into the game as junior John Frustaci (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) and Birkenstock opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Oleynik, who took over for Bennick to start the inning, worked out of trouble as he retired the next three batters in order.
In the ninth inning, Birkenstock and senior Andrew Tesoriero (Dunedin, Fla.) reached base with one out. Once again, the Ducks could not push a run across as Oleynik closed out the game to pick up his first save of the season.
Stevens will be back in action on Saturday, February 24 as the Ducks play their home-opener against Kean University at 1 p.m.
