NCAA South Regional
Scores:  Roanoke 13, Salisbury 5 (Game 2) | Salisbury 7, Roanoke 6  (Game 1)
Records: Roanoke 33-17, Salisbury 35-11
Location: Danville, Va.

The Lead: Roanoke College won its first NCAA Baseball South Regional by downing top-seed Salisbury 13-5 on Sunday afternoon. The Maroons now advance to the 2017 Division III World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin which is slated to start Friday.

The Maroons opponent will be determined on Monday following the completion of the final regional when ODAC rival Shenandoah takes on Wheaton (Mass.) for the final spot in the eight team field at 10:00 a.m. Roanoke is the first ODAC team to advance to the College World Series since 2005.

How it Happened

• Roanoke got on the board in the second inning pushing across two runs on a Dean Hermanson single with two outs to make it 2-0.
• With the score 2-1 in the fifth inning, Eli Sumpter led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a Collier Donald single and came home on a Will Decker sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Later in the inning, Hermanson singled to plate Donald and made it a 4-1 game.
• Salisbury rallied to tie the game at 4-4 in the next half inning when it scored three runs on just one hit and took advantage of a Maroon error to even the game. 
• In the decisive sixth inning, Roanoke loaded the bases with one out and Sean Guida singled home Drew Mikula and Will Black to put RC in front 6-4. The Maroons would load the bases again before Will Decker cleared them with a triple to make it a 9-4 game. Hermanson walked after Decker and Sam Watson brought them both home with a double to push the RC lead to 11-4.
• With the score 12-5 in the bottom of the ninth, Salisbury had a runner on first base but RC's Rawlings Cumbea got Jack Barry to ground into a double play to give Roanoke the NCAA South Regional title and its first appearance in the Division III World Series.
• Cumbea saved the game for John Ruhlman who went six innings and gave up just two earned runs on four hits to improve to 6-6 on the season.
• Hermanson finished with three hits on the day, while Guida, Donald, and Mikula each had two hits. Decker finished with four RBI, while Guida and Hermanson each had three.
• Salisbury forced a deciding game by winning the day's first contest 7-6. Salisbury went up 2-0 in their first at bat before Roanoke struck as Watson singled home Decker to make it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the first.
• RBI singles by Scott Ellis and Craig Kiley put RC out in front 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning.
• With the score tied at 5-5 in the eighth, SU scored two runs to make it 7-5.
• RC rallied in the bottom of the ninth putting the first two runners on, on a Hermanson walk and a Watson single. They each moved up on bunt by Ellis and Mikula scored Hermanson with a pinch-hit RBI single. With runners on first and third, Black hit a line drive up the middle that was caught and SU was able to double up the Maroon runner and end the game. 

South Region All-Tournament Team
C-Tom Labriola, Salisbury
P-John Ruhlman, Roanoke
P-Jeff Oster, Salisbury
1B-Will Decker, Roanoke
2B-Alex Kokos, Rowan
3B-Collier Donald, Roanoke
SS-Dean Hermanson, Roanoke
OF-Sam Watson, Roanoke (Most Outstanding Player)
OF-Sean Guida, Roanoke
OF-Scott Ellis, Roanoke
OF-Robbie Jones, Salisbury
DH-Casey Bell, LaGrange