• Box Score

WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 14) – In a meeting of regionally-ranked programs, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team suffered a 9-5 loss to Seton Hill on Wednesday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Park, snapping its 12-game winning streak.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 23-10 overall and 10-1 in homes games this season. Meanwhile, the Griffins improve to 25-13 this year. Cal U and Seton Hill were seeded fourth and fifth, respectively, in the first NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings.

Sophomore center fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) anchored the offense for the Vulcans, finishing 3-for-4 and only a homer shy of the cycle. Junior designated hitter Adam Links (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East) and junior left fielder Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) both finished 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.

With the game tied at 2-2 after three innings, Seton Hill plated five runs on five hits and two hit by pitches in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead. The Vulcans countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to the cut the deficit to 5-4 after a RBI single by Links and RBI grounder by freshman third baseman Evan King (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg).

Cal U threatened to score in each of the next two innings after advancing a runner to third, but was unable to trim the deficit. The Griffins added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth to increase their lead to 9-4. In the bottom of the ninth, the Vulcans had two runners in scoring position with one out before the Seton Hill right fielder caught a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Kyle Bowser (Stoystown/North Star) while hitting the outfield wall.

Seton Hill freshman Bob Carbaugh (3-0) earned the win after throwing 4.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing only three hits and issuing no walks. Griffins' starter Greg Daviault took a no-decision after yielding four runs on seven hits and two walks in 3.1 innings.

Senior Nick Schreiber (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle Antrim) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on three hits in 1.0-plus inning of relief. Sophomore Pat Gannon (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) made the start for the Vulcans and allowed two unearned runs on one hit in 2.0 innings while making his first appearance in over three weeks.

In the game, Cal U left 12 runners on base in scoring position and used eight pitchers over nine innings.

The Vulcans return to action on Friday, April 16, when they open a pivotal four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West series with IUP. The series opens with a doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park at 1 p.m. Cal U currently holds a two-game lead over IUP for first place in the PSAC West standings with two weekends left in the regular season.