Box Score

SALISBURY, MD – Nationally ninth ranked Salisbury University scored on its opening drive and never looked back in a 37-7 win over Hartwick football on Saturday at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, MD. The Gulls tacked on 17 second-quarter points for a 24-0 lead at halftime and held Hartwick to 142 yards of total offense. They also forced a total of five Hawk turnovers in the game.
           
With the loss, Hartwick drops to the .500 mark overall at 3-3. The Blue and White is still looking for its first Empire 8 win with a record of 0-3. Salisbury improves to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
           
Freshman running back Joseph Rosiecki (Montgomery, NY/Valley Central HS) ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to lead the Hawks. Defensive back Dante Crump (Kingston, NY/Kingston) paced 'Wick with 10 tackles, seven of which were solo hits. Richie DiVirgilio (Windsor, NY/Windsor), Bryan Schweitzer (Babylon, NY/Babylon HS), Joe Seney (Gloversville, NY/Broadlbin-Perth), and Jared Morrow (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free Academy) each recorded nine tackles.
           
Salisbury gained 390 yards on the day, including 299 on the ground. The Gulls were paced by running back Joe Benedetti's 158 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Dan Griffin rushed for 72 yards and two scores and he completed 7-of-12 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
           
The Gulls won the toss and elected to receive the ball to start the game. After 13 plays, 82 yards, and seven minutes, 20 seconds, they were in front after a Griffin 9-yard rushing score. SU ran the ball 10 times on the opening drive.
           
The Hawks thought they had jumped in front on the Gulls' 8^th play from scrimmage as Griffin fumbled and Schweitzer picked up the ball and ran it back 38 yards to the end zone for an apparent Hartwick touchdown. However, the Hawks were whistled for jumping offside negating the play.
           
After a 3-and-out for Hartwick, the ball went back to the Gulls and they promptly drove 45 yards to the Hartwick 22 yard-line. On a 4^th and 4, SU elected to go for it, but DiVirgilio stuffed Isaiah Taylor for a two-yard loss to give the ball back to 'Wick.
           
With the score remaining 7-0, both teams would punt on their opening possessions of the second quarter. On the first play on Hartwick's next drive, Billy Nichols forced a Kurtis Ahart (Spencer, NY/Spencer Van Etten) fumble which was recovered on the Hartwick 12 by Joey Buckley and Salisbury eyed a second touchdown.
           
Hartwick stopped the Sea Gulls, though, allowing just two yards on three rushes and limited the hosts to a 21-yard Eric Hart field goal and a 10-0 lead with 7:39 left in the half.
           
Salisbury would get the ball back just 1:39 later and a Griffin to Michael Copenhaver 35-yard touchdown pass would add to the Gulls lead, 17-0.
           
The Hawks got the ball back with 2:20 left before halftime, but on their first play from their own 12 yard-line, the gap grew larger. Keegan Corbett (Bennington, VT/Mount Anthony Union) completed a pass to Chris Okonski (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) put it was stripped by Salisbury's Paul Moore who took the ball back 12 yards to extend the lead to 24-0.
           
Hartwick had one more chance in the half but was forced to punt. It went into halftime down by 24 points with just two yards of offense and no first downs.
           
A big 39-yard run by Rosiecki handed the Hawks a first down on their first possession of the second half. He ran for 50 yards on six plays, but a Hartwick fumble on the Salisbury 28 would kill the Hawks' most successful drive up until that point.
           
After both sides punted, SU drove 55 yards on 12 plays for another seven points. Benedetti had a big 21 yard run before Griffin finished the drive off on the next play on a 4-yard rush and the Gulls led 31-0.
             
Quarterback Mike Mathews (Pound Ridge, NY/Ithaca College) found receiver Chris Hoose (Leeds, NY/Cairo-Durham) for a 40-yard completion on the first play of Hartwick's ensuing possession. Corbett then connected on a 16-yard pass to Frankie Molina (Middletown, NY/Middletown) which set the stage for a Rosiecki 7-yard touchdown run that put the Hawks on the board. Alex Tesoriero (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) added the PAT to cut the deficit to 31-7 with 14:18 to play in the fourth quarter.
           
It would be as close as Hartwick would get, however, as Salisbury would score on its next possession of the football. Starting from their own 5 yard-line, the Gulls recorded six consecutive first down runs en route to a Benedetti 4-yard touchdown to close out the scoring with 10:42 remaining. Hart's extra point failed.
           
The Hawks had four more possessions in the game but punted twice and turned the ball over on a fumble and an interception.
           
Hartwick is back in action next Saturday, October 20 against local rival Utica College. The Hawks and Pioneers kickoff at Wright Stadium beginning at 2 p.m.