•
Game 1 Box Score
•
Game 2 Box Score
SALISBURY, N.C. (Feb. 8) – Despite rallying to tie the first game in the top of the ninth, the Vulcans were swept in their season-opening doubleheader by No. 17 Catawba (N.C.), falling 6-5 and 11-4 in a pair of nine-inning games at Newman Park on Monday.
Trailing by four runs after seven innings in the first game, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team cut the deficit to 4-2 after back-to-back RBI singles by senior right fielder
Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center) and junior second baseman
Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler). After the Indians (3-0) added another run in the bottom of the eighth, the Vulcans rallied to tie the game at 5-5 in the ninth.
With two outs in the ninth, sophomore center fielder
Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) lined a two-run single through the middle. Handza later scored the game-tying run on a throwing error. In the bottom of the inning, Catawba scored the game-winning run on a walk-off RBI single by center fielder Wade Moore, who reached base 11 time in 12 at-bats during the twinbill.
Junior reliever
Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) was saddled with the loss after allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk in 1.0-plus innings. Senior Travis McSweeney earned the win in relief after yielding one run (unearned) on two hits.
DiMatteo, a preseason All-American, led the Vulcans with three hits while Handza went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs.
In the nightcap, Cal U and Catawba were tied 2-2 after four innings before the Indians scored six-straight runs to take an 8-2 lead and then added three insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Redshirt sophomore
Randy Sturgill (Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg) took a no-decision after allowing two runs and registering 10 strikeouts in 4.0 innings. It marked the first appearance on the mound for Sturgill since he suffered a season-ending injury in the first inning of the season-opener last year.
Sophomore
Pat Gannon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in 1.2 innings of relief. Freshman Nick Lomascolo earned the win after allowing two runs in 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts.
In the loss, junior outfielder
Chuck Faust (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a solo homer, three RBI and one run. Ordy added a pair of singles against the Indians.
The Vulcans return to the diamond next weekend at the Tusculum Invitational when they face St. Joseph’s (Ind.) and the host Pioneers in Greeneville, Tenn.
Notes:
Catawba is ranked No. 17 in the preseason Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll … The single nine-inning game scheduled between Catawba and Cal U for Tuesday, Feb. 9, has been cancelled due to rain in the Salisbury, N.C., area