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Game 1 Box Score
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Game 2 Box Score
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (April 23) – After losing Game 1 on an extra-inning walk-off homer, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team managed a split of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubleheader at Lock Haven on Friday afternoon by winning the nightcap, 9-1.
With the split, the Vulcans move to 27-15 overall with a 16-6 mark in league play. Cal U is now 1.0-game back of IUP in the PSAC West standings after the two teams entered the final weekend of the regular season tied for first place. Meanwhile, Lock Haven moves to 15-27 this season and 6-16 in divisional action.
After the dramatic loss in the first game, Cal U led throughout in Game 2 to claim the 9-1 victory. The Vulcans jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first after freshman third baseman
Evan King (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) and senior right fielder
Sam DiMatteo (Center, Pa./Center) started the game with a single and double, respectively, before scoring on a sacrifice fly and groundout.
The Bald Eagles cut the deficit in half with a solo homer in the bottom of the first before the Vulcans expanded the lead to 6-1 behind a four-run third inning. With runners on the corners and one out, junior left fielder
Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) belted a three-run homer (first of the season). Junior shortstop
Casey Teagarden (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) followed with a single and stole second before scoring on a single by sophomore designated hitter
Kyle Bowser (Stoystown, Pa./North Star).
In the top of the sixth, King started the inning with a triple and DiMatteo followed with a RBI double. After a wild pitch moved him to third, DiMatteo scored on a groundout later in the inning. Cal U added an insurance run in the seventh when King collected a two-out RBI double.
Freshman left-hander
Tyler Zimm (Fayetteville, W.Va./Oak Hill) earned the complete-game victory, allowing one run (earned) on four hits and one walk in 7.0 innings with five strikeouts. Lock Haven starter Jordan Yohn (1-6) suffered the loss after being roughed up for eight runs (four earned) on 13 hits in 6.0 innings.
King anchored the offensive effort, finishing with a season-high four hits, one RBI and two runs scored. DiMatteo and Teagarden each added two hits and scored two runs, while junior second baseman
Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler) also collected two hits.
In Game 1, Cal U led 5-1 before Lock Haven scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Bald Eagles' leftfielder Dean Pettinato then belted a game-winning, walk-off solo homer in the eighth, as Lock Haven won 6-5.
After two scoreless innings to start the game, the Vulcans took a 3-0 in the third behind back-to-back RBI doubles by King and DiMatteo. The two teams traded a run in the fourth before Cal U expanded its lead to 5-1 when DiMatteo scored on a two-out error in the fifth after reaching base on a walk.
In the seventh, Lock Haven tied the game with four runs on three hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly. With two outs and runners on the corners, pinch hitter Scott Gaston lined a two-run, game-tying double off reliever freshman
Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg), who had just entered the game. Petty then induced a groundout to end the inning with the score tied.
After consecutive outs to start the eighth, the Vulcans had runners on first and second before Teagarden ended the inning with line drive back to the pitcher. Pettinato then concluded the game with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the inning.
Petty (1-1) suffered the loss in relief after allowing one run in 0.1 inning, while starter
Randy Sturgill (Leechburg, Pa./Leechburg) took a no-decision after yielding five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 6.2 innings of work. Lock Haven starter Josh Rote (3-6) earned the complete-game victory, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and six walks over 8.0 innings.
Welsh was the only Cal U player with a multi-hit game in the loss, while five different starters collected a RBI.
The Vulcans conclude the regular season tomorrow, Saturday, April 24, when they host Lock Haven for a Senior Day doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. Entering the final date of the regular season, Cal U could claim at least a share of the PSAC West title with either a sweep or split (depending on the result of the Gannon-IUP doubleheader) of the twinbill.
