SALISBURY, Md. - Bill Root's RBI-double broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth as third-ranked Salisbury scored four of the game's final five runs while the bullpen held Stevenson scoreless over the final five innings as the Sea Gulls posted a 5-3 victory Friday at the SU Baseball Field.

The loss was the second in the last three games for the Mustangs (18-15-2, 8-8 CAC) with both coming against teams ranked in the D3Baseball.com Top 25. It also dropped the team to fifth place in the CAC standings with two conference games remaining.

Friday's game featured four lead changes with the two teams exchanging three runs each over the first four innings.

Salisbury (26-4, 13-3 CAC) scored first in the bottom of the second, taking a 1-0 lead on a RBI-ground out by Eric Weiser that scored Kyle Hayman who advanced to third on a balk by Stevenson sophomore Ryan Kellough (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone).

Stevenson took a 2-1 advantage with two runs in the top of the third on an infield single by junior Brad Blum (Olney, Md./Magruder) that scored junior Heath Johnson (New Castle, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) before junior Josh Morris (Gambrills, Md./Arundel) drove in sophomore Thomas Goulian (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) with a sacrifice fly.

However, the Sea Gulls matched the Mustangs with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to regain the lead at 3-2 on a two-out double by Chris Connor.

Stevenson tied the game in the top of the fourth when senior Zac Stavish (Westminster, Md./South Carroll) scored on a ground ball to short by senior Jordan Wright (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin East).

That would be all the runs the Mustangs would get as four Salisbury relief pitchers, including Stephen Miller, who earned his fourth save of the season, combined to hold them without a run while allowing just three hits over the final five innings.

Root's RBI-double in the sixth scored the game-winning run for the Sea Gulls who added an insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Joey Jones.

Stavish, Goulian and junior Matt Bratter (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) each had two hits for Stevenson, combing for six of the team's eight on the day. Morris was 1-for-3 with one RBI while Blum was 1-for-4 with a run batted in.

Kellough suffered his fourth loss of the season, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and four walks in 5.2 innings.

Meanwhile, Jeff Hoffman improved to 6-0 this season after pitching a scoreless sixth inning and retiring three of the five batters he faced.

Stevenson and Salisbury conclude their three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.