The Salem baseball team dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten Tuesday, and when the Spartans fell they fell hard. Salem lost at Cave Spring, 12-2.

“We played horrible,” said Salem coach Wes McMillan. “We played bad on defense and did some dumb baserunning. We just didn’t play good.”

Salem ace Trevor Austin started on the mound and took the loss. Austin, who had an ERA of under 1.00 coming into the game, lasted just an inning and two thirds against the Knights. Vincent Pinello pitched two and a third innings and Landon Hudson finished up as both took the mound for the first time this year.

Salem managed seven hits against the Knights, led by Riley Fox with two. With the loss Salem is now 9-1 on the season.

The disappointing defeat came just a day after a shutout win over Lord Botetourt in Daleville on Monday. In that one freshman lefty Zian Honaker improved to 3-0 with four shutout innings. Zian worked out of bases loaded jams in each of the first three innings without allowing a run, and Jake Aldridge followed with two scoreless innings before Austin pitched the seventh.

Austin Sowers and Hudson led the Spartans with two hits each, and Hudson also drove in three runs.

Salem was frozen out of a game at Blacksburg last Friday. The Spartans will play at Hidden Valley today before taking off for spring break. Conner Mitchell is scheduled to start on the mound against the Titans.