• Box Score

LANCASTER, Pa. (May 7) – The Vulcans rallied from an early six-run deficit before losing a 12-11 extra-inning contest to No. 7 West Chester University on Thursday at Clipper Magazine Stadium in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship Tournament Semifinals.

The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team falls to 32-15 overall this season and now must wait until the weekend to see if it receives an at-large bid to the 2009 NCAA Division II Tournament. Meanwhile, West Chester improves to 41-10 and advances to the PSAC Championship Game for the fourth time in the last five years.

The conference tournament started as an eight-team, double-elimination tournament, but weather conditions over recent days resulted in the decision last night for the four remaining teams to finish the tournament as a single-elimination tournament. Both semifinal games and the championship game are scheduled to be played today at Clipper Stadium.

In the bottom of the 11th inning, Golden Rams' left fielder Kevin McGrath reached base with a two-out walk. With a 1-2 count on the No. 2 hitter in the line-up, McGrath stole second base and eventually scored on the play on two throwing errors. During the play, one of the umpires ruled obstruction, but the run was upheld after a meeting of the umpires.

Trailing 10-3, the Vulcans mounted a five-run rally in the sixth to trim the deficit to 10-8. Senior first baseman Mike Schmidt (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) started the rally with a solo homer (fifth of the season) to right field. After consecutive outs, six-straight Cal U batters reached base (five singles, one hit by pitch). With runners on first and second, freshman left fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) singled in a run before scoring on a two-run hit by senior centerfielder Jon Selby (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton). Senior shortstop Shayne Busti (Crucible, Pa./Carmichaels) followed with the final two-out RBI of the inning.

Cal U continued its momentum in the seventh when junior right fielder Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center) belted a two-out, three-run double to give the Vulcans their first lead of the game, 11-10. West Chester countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to even the score at 11-11.

The Golden Rams were in position to take the lead in the eighth after the leadoff hitter reached base on a hit by pitch and stole second. However, reliever Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) retired the next three batters in order with only one ball being hit into fair play.

After the game remained tied after nine full innings, there was nearly a one-hour rain delay. The Vulcans were unable to get a base runner in the top of the tenth, while the Golden Rams loaded the bases before Welsh again worked out of the inning without allowing a run.

Welsh (2-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs (both unearned) in a season-best 5.2 innings of relief. He yielded only two hits and one walk, while registering five strikeouts.

Bret Moyer (9-1) earned the victory for West Chester after working two perfect innings of relief, retiring all six batters he faced in order.

Selby led the Vulcans with three hits, going 3-for-6 with two RBI and one run scored. The senior outfielder also stole his 79th career base in the sixth inning to give him sole possession of the school record. Selby previously was tied with former teammate Drew Aniceti (2005-08) for the record at 78.

DiMatteo collected a team-best four RBI, while Busti drove in three runs. Handza, Busti and senior catcher Stephen Hermann (Levelgreen, Pa./Penn-Trafford) all posted two-hit games in the loss.

After scoring one run in the game, DiMatteo established a new single-season school record for runs at 57. He was previously tied with Randy Wadsworth, who scored 56 runs in 1987.