• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

INDIANA, Pa. (April 13) – The No. 26 California University of Pennsylvania baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep against Indiana University of Pennsylvania at Owen Doughtery Field on Monday in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, losing 23-6 and 5-4.

With the losses, the Vulcans fall to 27-10 overall and 12-4 in league play. Cal U still holds a one-game lead in the PSAC West standings over league-newcomer Merychurst College. Meanwhile, IUP ranks fourth in the divisional standings with a 9-11 league mark and 16-18 overall record.

In Game 1, the Crimson Hawks pounded out 12 runs on only eight hits against three different hurlers after three innings. Cal U scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on three-straight hits with consecutive doubles by senior centerfielder Jon Selby (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) and senior shortstop Shayne Busti (Crucible, Pa./Carmichaels) before senior third baseman Mike Schmidt (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) followed with a RBI single.

The IUP offensive onslaught continued with five runs in the fourth and six in the fifth to claim a 23-2 lead. The Vulcans added their final four runs of the game in the top of seventh behind a two-run homer by freshman catcher Steve Silvestri (Nottingham, Pa./Oxford) and a two-out, two-run single by Busti.

Junior Jake Rougeaux (4-1) tossed a complete game to earn the victory, allowing six runs on 10 hits in 7.0 innings. Sophomore Chris Plummer (Niagara Falls, Ontario/Westlane) was saddled with the loss after being roughed up for five runs (four earned) on two hits and four walks in 1.0-plus innings.

Busti and Schmidt both posted multi-hit games in the first game with Busti registering three RBI.

In the nightcap, the Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with a two-out, RBI double by freshman leftfielder Tory Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) before adding another run in the fourth on a RBI single by Busti.

After IUP made it a 2-1 contest in the bottom of the fourth, senior catcher Stephen Hermann (Levelgreen, Pa./Penn-Trafford) belted a solo homer in the fifth to give Cal U a two-run lead, 3-1. The Crimson Hawks tied the game and claimed a 5-3 advantage with four runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Vulcans made it a one-run game in the seventh when Hermann had a two-out solo longball (10th of the season) before Corey Betz retired the next batter to stop the comeback.

Betz improved to 5-2 this year after allowing four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Freshman Pat Gannon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) sustained the loss (3-2) after yielding five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work.

Handza, Busti and Hermann all finished with two hits in Game 2.

Cal U returns to action on Wednesday, April 15, with a non-conference road doubleheader against Wheeling Jesuit University. The twinbill is slated for a 2 p.m. start.

Notes:
The Vulcans cancelled their doubleheader against Salem International University scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, April 14, due to forecasted weather conditions ... Hermann has posted a pair of multi-homer games this season, previously hitting two longballs against Davis & Elkins College (April 1).