• Box Score

WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 1) – Behind two homers from senior catcher Stephen Hermann (Levelgreen, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and a five-hit effort by sophomore first baseman Adam Links (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East), the Vulcans pounded out a season-high 25 hits en route to a 22-9 victory over Davis & Elkins College on Wednesday at CONSOL Energy Park.

After winning 10 of its last 12 games, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 21-7 overall. Meanwhile, the Senators fall to 12-17 on the season.

The 22 runs scored by the Vulcans is their highest single-game run total since a 25-2 win over Gannon University in 2006.

Hermann paced the Cal U offense, going 3-for-5 with two homers, six RBI and two runs scored. Links went 5-for-6 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored.

Sophomore right fielder Chuck Faust (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) went 4-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored, while junior designated hitter Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center) and senior Mike Schmidt (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) both logged three hits. DiMatteo extended his hitting streak to 16 games after posting a 3-for-6 game, while Schmidt posted a pair of doubles and went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.

All nine of the Cal U starters posted at least one hit and seven players collected one or more RBI.

Freshman Anthony Lamont (Clinton, Pa./South Side Beaver) earned the win (2-0) after pitching 4.2 innings of relief and yielding three runs (two earned) on six hits. Sophomore Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) earned his first career save after tossing three scoreless innings to end the game.

Freshman John Commins suffered the loss for D&E, allowing seven runs (all earned) on six hits and one walk in 1.0 inning of relief. The Senators used a combined six pitchers with only one hurler lasting more than one inning.

The Vulcans took an early lead when left fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) belted a leadoff homer (second of the season) in the bottom of the first before Links added a RBI single. The Senators responded with a seven-run second inning to take a 7-2 lead. Cal U countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning after a two-run double by Schmidt and two-run homer by Links (second of the season).

D&E added a run in the top of the third before Cal U took 13-8 lead after scoring seven runs in the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the third, seven-straight hitters registered a RBI for the Vulcans, including a solo homer by Hermann.

Cal U added to its lead in the fourth with a bases-loaded walk and three-run triple by Faust, 17-8. D&E added a run in the top of the seventh before the Vulcans closed the scoring with a five-run eighth inning. Faust started the run scoring on a RBI single before freshman shortstop Kyle Bowser (Stoystown, Pa./North Star) hit a single through the middle to load the bases. Hermann then capped the game with an opposite-field grand slam to right centerfield (sixth homer of the season).

The Vulcans are scheduled to return to the diamond on Friday, April 3, when they travel to Erie, Pa., to face league newcomer Gannon. The first game is slated for a 1 p.m. start.