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Game 1 Box Score
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Game 2 Box Score
CLARION, Pa. (March 31) – Freshman left-hander
Tyler Zimm (Fayetteville, W.Va./Oak Hill) threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout in the first game on Wednesday afternoon, as the Vulcans finished their season sweep of Clarion with 6-0 and 13-6 victories in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the wins, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 15-10 overall this season with a 10-2 mark in league action. Meanwhile, Clarion remains winless in divisional play at 0-6 and drops to 1-11 this year.
Zimm improved to 3-0 this season after throwing the first complete game of his career. He scattered only two hits with no walks over 7.0 innings, while registering a season-high eight strikeouts. Through the first five appearances of his career, Zimm leads the team with a 2.84 ERA over 25.1 innings of work this season.
Junior designated hitter
Chuck Faust (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) highlighted the offense with a pair of solo homers, while junior second baseman
Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler) collected a team-high three hits. Junior left fielder
Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
In Game 1, the Vulcans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Freshman third baseman
Evan King (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) started the inning with a walk and advanced over to third on a steal and flyout. King later scored on a wild pitch before Welsh reached base on a double and also scored on a wild pitch.
Faust expanded the lead to 4-0 after solo homers in both the fourth and sixth innings. He ranks among the team leaders this season with five homers and 20 RBI, both career highs.
Cal U added a pair of two-out runs with three-straight singles following Faust's homer in the sixth. Welsh continued the rally with a single and advanced to third on a single by junior shortstop
Casey Teagarden (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield). Sophomore center fielder
Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) then delivered a RBI single that scored Welsh and advanced Teagarden to third. The Vulcans scored their final run of the game when they executed a double-steal attempt with Handza taking second and Teagarden stealing home.
Golden Eagles' starter Eric Panko (0-2) was saddled with the loss in Game 1 after allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in 2.0 innings.
In the nightcap, senior right fielder
Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center), King and Teagarden each collected two hits. DiMatteo went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, three RBI and two runs scored, while Teagarden collected two singles and scored three runs.
Cal U jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first when DiMatteo belted a two-run homer, his fifth of the season and 25th of his career. Ordy then reached base on a single and later scored on a RBI single by King.
The Vulcans then batted around in the second, scoring five runs on only one hit. With the bases loaded, Teagarden scored the first run of the inning after Ordy was hit by pitch. Junior catcher
Eric Berringer (Damascus, Md./Damascus) collected the second RBI of the frame when he drew a walk with the bases loaded. DiMatteo then scored on a wild pitch before Faust delivered a two-out, two-run single to give the Vulcans an 8-0 lead.
In the third, Cal U added a pair of insurance runs when Teagarden scored on a passed ball and Handza touched home on a sacrifice fly by Berringer. DiMatteo and Ordy each collected RBI in the fourth when the Vulcans took a 12-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles added a run in both the fourth and fifth before Handza had a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it a 13-2 contest.
Handza, the Vulcans' leadoff hitter, finished Game 2 with unusual line of 0-for-0 (two walks, two hit by pitches, one sacrifice fly) with a RBI and three runs scored.
After also scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Clarion made a late two-out rally in the seventh to cut the final deficit to 13-6.
Senior
Ryan Lavrusky (Temple Terrace, Fla./King) earned the victory, allowing six runs (four earned) on 11 hits in 6.1 innings. He issued four walks and fanned six. Clarion starter T. J. Anderson sustained the loss after allowing seven runs (all earned) on three hits and four walks in 1.1 innings.
The Vulcans return to action on Friday, April 2, when they host a four-game series against Fairmont State. The non-conference series is scheduled to start with a doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park, beginning at 1 p.m.
