Two pitchers entered the final game of the opening day of the 2004 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, and for the first few innings, it looked like they would battle late into the Wisconsin night.

Scott Hyde allowed three runs while scattering five hits in an 8-3 complete-game victory over Salisbury University Friday night at Fox Cities Stadium.

Hyde, a junior right-hander, utilized a pinpoint fastball with well-placed breaking and off-speed pitches in striking out 13 Sea Gulls.

A competitive, yet occasionally sloppy defensive game early, the Bruins held a tentative 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning when they finally got to Salisbury starter Greg Lasinski.

Leftfielder Scott Hunter led off with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on third baseman Tye Tinner bunt to the mound. Tinner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from centerfielder Drew Johnson.

A pair of RBI singles from designated hitter Stephen Donohue and second baseman C.R. Braniff put George Fox up, 4-1. Braniff moved into scoring position on a Lasinski wild pitch which allowed Donohoe to score and put the Bruins up, 5-1.

With just one out, Lasinski walked shortstop David Petersen to put runners at first and second. Sea Gulls head coach Doug Fleetwood summoned junior righty Brian Shipe from the bullpen.

Shipe got first baseman Joshua Sargent to swing at strike three, gave up an RBI single to catcher Greg Dombek, and ended the inning by striking out right fielder Dan Wentzell, giving the Bruins a five-run lead, which was exactly what a tiring Hyde needed.

"I wasn't throwing too well to begin with," Hyde said. "But those last three innings, I had nothing left."

Hyde was fortunate throughout the game to have a solid defense playing behind him. The Bruins turned a pair of double plays and showed no fear in getting a little dirt on their white jerseys by diving all over the diamond to make plays.

"They saved me tonight," Hyde said. "I wasn't throwing my best stuff, but they made my job out there a lot easier."

Salisbury's defense, on the other hand, played a large part in its undoing. The Sea Gulls allowed the first two batters of the game to reach base on errors, which eventually led to a 1-0 George Fox lead.

"Those two errors don't even tell the story," Fleetwood said. "You can't strike out 13 times and expect to win the ball game. You can't not put the ball into play, and quite honestly, I thought our defense was horrible."

While Salisbury's offense struggled, George Fox's was no machine in its own right. The Bruins were unable to advance runners for much of the game before breaking things open in the seventh. In all, George Fox stranded 10 runners on the day.

Dombek was the Bruins' offense star. He picked up four hits in five trips to the plate and drove in three runs. Sargent, Hunter, and Tinner also picked up two hits apiece, while Braniff collected three hits, scored twice, and drove in three.

Hyde picked up his 12th win of the year against one loss, while Lasinski saw his record drop to 11-3.

With the win, George Fox improved to 36-9, and will advance to face Rowan Saturday at 7:45 p.m. Salisbury will take a 37-12 mark into its meeting Saturday afternoon against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.