The Salisbury University baseball team played its first game in the NCAA Division III World Series in seven years on Friday afternoon, falling to Marietta College, 8-0.

The teams remained scoreless through five and a half innings of play as Marietta ace Brian Gasser and Salisbury senior hurler Chris Greiner were locked in a pitchers' duel. Greiner allowed just one hit through his first five innings of work while Gasser, named the National Pitcher of the Year by D3baseball.com on Wednesday, worked six shutout innings, scattering three hits.

Salisbury's best scoring chance came in the top of the sixth inning, when the Gulls put together a pair of hits off Gasser. Senior Brian Green singled to left field with one out, it was his second hit of the day. After a fly out, junior Tyler Bennett, singled to center field, advancing Green to third, but Bennett was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, ending the threat.

The Pioneers (43-3) got to Greiner in the sixth, scoring three runs on five hits, to grab a 3-0 lead. Salisbury came up with two more hits in the top of the seventh, but stranded both runners, before Marietta plated three more runs in the seventh, doubling its lead.

Along with Green's two hits, Bennett, senior Dustin Herbert and freshman John Schiotis each had base knocks in the contest.

Junior Bill Morton tossed a scoreless inning of relief while senior Drew Baldwin worked one inning, allowing two runs.

With the loss, the Sea Gulls (33-13) fall into the elimination bracket, where they will play against Kean University on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Kean lost to Chapman, 9-4, in the first game of the World Series.