Falcons Finish With Tough Loss

Salisbury's baseball team made history Friday even though the Falcons weren't able to secure a state championship win over the Riverside Panthers of Ellwood City. The Falcons became the first team in school history to compete for a state title in any sport.

They arrived at Penn State with a 20-6 record but without lead batter Nic Ampietro in the lineup. Ampietro sprained his ankle while running to grab a bucket of baseballs during practice Thursday.

The Falcons got off to a strong start as ace Zach Harper served nine pitches to retire three batters in the first inning. First baseman Ryan Utsch gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead when he hit a single with the bases loaded.

Three runs scored on Ryan Finnegan's inside-the-park home run put Riverside ahead in the fifth. That lead grew to 5-2 and held solid despite Salisbury's bases-loaded rally in the seventh inning. This marked the third state win for Riverside; the team hails from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Here is a recap of the game from WFMZ. Salisbury finished the season an impressive 20-7.

Local media offered extensive coverage of Salisbury's winning run to the state finals including a video report by WFMZ and photos by the Morning Call.

Reports this week highlighted the leadership of seniors Zach  Harper, Michael Miller and Tyler Tocci, as well as the team's mix of both veteran and younger players.