• Box Score

BELMONT, N.C. (Feb. 20) – The No. 21 California University of Pennsylvania baseball team dropped a 10-3 contest at Abbey Yard on Sunday afternoon to Belmont Abbey (N.C.).

With the loss, the Vulcans drop to 3-3 overall this year. Meanwhile, the Crusaders improve to 11-4 this season with a 10-4 mark at home.

Senior starter Ryan MacNamara (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) suffered his second loss of the season after being roughed up for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. The Vulcans then used three relievers over the final three-plus innings, including redshirt senior Corry Ryan (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) who made his first appearance in almost two years due to an arm injury.

The teams each scored a run in the first inning before Belmont Abbey took a 2-1 lead in the second on a solo homer by designated hitter Matt Mazzolla. In the top of the third, sophomore catcher Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) started the inning with a double before scoring on a sacrifice fly. The Crusaders countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead, 3-2.

Belmont Abbey then expanded its lead to 7-2 in the fifth behind back-to-back doubles and a two-out, RBI single. The Crusaders then added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth before scoring another run in the bottom of the seventh, 10-2. In the top of the ninth, Cal U scored its final run of the game when junior JB Sapienza (La Plata, Md./La Plata) lined a pinch hit, RBI single into left field.

Senior third baseman Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler) collected two of the eight hits for the Vulcans, finishing 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run.

The Vulcans return to action next weekend when they travel to Charleston (W.Va.) for a three-game series, beginning Saturday, Feb. 26, with a nine-inning game.