• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

ERIE (April 24) – The No. 27 Vulcans remain tied with Mercyhurst College for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-West lead entering the final day of the regular season after the two teams split a lengthy doubleheader on Friday, as the Lakers won 10-9 in Game 1 in extra innings before the Vulcans rallied to win the nightcap 4-3 in extra innings.

The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team stands at 31-12 overall and 16-6 in league play with the split. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst holds a 31-14 overall record and a 16-6 divisional mark in its first season in the PSAC.

On Friday, the Vulcans broke the single-season team record for homers. Fittingly, senior centerfielder Jon Selby (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton) won Game 2 with an eventual game-winning solo homer in the top of the eighth. In the doubleheader against the Lakers, Cal U belted five homers to increase its season total to 49. The previous mark of 44 was set during both the 1998 and 2003 campaigns.

With the scored tied at 3-3 entering the eighth inning, Selby started the extra frame with a solo homer (seventh of the season) to give Cal U a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Mercyhurst had runners on second and third before sophomore reliever Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa. /Central Bucks East) forced two groundouts to end the game.

Welsh earned the win (2-0) after throwing three scoreless innings of relief. Senior Jon Squeglia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) took a no decision after allowing three runs (all unearned) on six hits in five-plus innings.

Senior Jamie Walczak (2-3) was saddled with the loss after surrendering the eventual game-winning homer to Selby.

In the nightcap, Cal U took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a sacrifice fly before Mercyhurst countered with two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. The Lakers plated another run in the fourth on a passed ball to increase their lead to 3-1.

The Vulcans evened the contest at 3-3 in the top of the sixth when senior shortstop Shayne Busti (Crucible, Pa./Carmichaels) blasted a two-run homer that scored Selby, who started the inning with a double. Mercyhurst was in position to break the tie in the bottom of the inning after loading the bases, however, Welsh worked out of the inning without allowing a run. The Lakers again had runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth and were unable to plate any runs.

Selby and second baseman Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler) each finished the game with two hits, while Selby also scored two runs. Senior right fielder Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center) stole a base (36th of the season) in the victory and now ranks only steal shy of tying the single-season school record of 37, which was set by Lee Rohan in 2006.

The two top teams in the PSAC West opened the pivotal regular-season ending series with a 19-run, 23-hit barrage in Game 1 with Mercyhurst winning on a wild pitch. With runners on corners and no outs in the eighth, Walczak scored on an errant delivery by senior closer Mike Schmidt (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park).

Schmidt (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief. Walczak earned the victory after throwing a scoreless eighth inning.

Cal U took an early 2-0 lead in the game on a two-run homer (12th of the season) by DiMatteo. The 12 single-season homers by DiMatteo moves him into a second-place tie with Chris McManus (1997) and Ryan Balan (2002). DiMatteo is also one of only five Vulcan players to belt 20 career homers. Mercyhurst answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to claim a 4-2 advantage.

The Vulcans countered with a three-run third inning behind a two-run longball by Busti and a RBI double by first baseman Adam Links (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East), 5-4. The Lakers offense continued with three runs in third to retake the lead, 7-5.

Selby then tied the game at 7-7 with a two-run homer in the fourth before the two teams exchanged runs in the fifth. Cal U broke the 8-8 deadlock in the top of the seventh with a RBI single by sophomore designated hitter Chuck Faust (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) before Mercyhurst again evened the game in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Selby prevented the Lakers from winning the game in the seventh when his outfield assist sent the game into extra innings.

Selby, Busti, Schmidt and Ordy – the Nos. 3-4-5-6 hitters – all posted two hits in the loss, while DiMatteo, Selby and Busti each recorded two RBI in the game.

The Vulcans and Lakers conclude the regular season tomorrow, Saturday, April 25, with a doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. The Senior Day twinbill is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start with the first-ever Bruce Dal Canton Pitching Award being presented between the two games.