WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. – Tom Salah struck out seven over five strong innings, and teammates Tyler Rogers and Andy Marques came out of the bullpen to fire a scoreless final two innings to lift Gloucester, Mass., to a 6-3 win over Auburn Suburban in the elimination bracket game of the 2005 Senior Little League Baseball Eastern Regional at Union Field on Sunday.

Only one of the three runs allowed by Salah was earned, as he collected his first win of the regional and his third in the International Tournament (3-0). He scattered four hits and four walks over his five innings of work. Rogers retired the side in order in the sixth, and Marques took care of business in the seventh to earn his first save of the regional.

Gloucester will take on West Deptford, the host District NJ-15 champion, today at 10 a.m. in another elimination game. Auburn was knocked out of the double-elimination regional with the loss.

Auburn took a 2-0 lead in the first inning even though Gloucester could have escaped the inning unscathed. With the bases loaded and two outs, Corey Larue struck out. But the ball got away from the catcher and was subsequently thrown wild to first, allowing two runs to score, giving the Maine state champions an early two-run advantage.

Gloucester did its version of “can you top this one” in the top half of the second. Mike Cain drew a two-out walk and then stole second. He moved up to third on a passed ball. Realizing that no one was covering the plate as he approached third, Cain raced for home to score Gloucester’s first run of the game. Auburn pitcher Adam Redmun was charged with an error on the play.

The Massachusetts representatives tied the game later in the inning when Bryan Sanborn walked, stole second and then scored on a long single to left-center by John Cusumano.

The teams traded single runs in their next at-bats before Gloucester took the lead for good in the fourth. Cain led off with a walk and then stole second. Bryan Sanborn followed with a single to right, scoring Cain for the second time on the afternoon.

Gloucester tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on an RBI groundout and a two-out dropped fly ball, one of four errors on the day committed by Auburn.

Adam Lutz had three of Auburn’s five hits on the afternoon, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.