• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

BUTLER, Pa. (April 13) - Senior Sean Welsh (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) collected five hits and classmate Chuck Faust (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) belted two homers as the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team swept Fairmont State, 6-5 and 8-3, in a non-conference doubleheader at Pullman Park on Wednesday afternoon.

With the wins, the Vulcans improve their overall record to 18-12 this season. Meanwhile, the Falcons drop to 6-21 in the 2011 campaign.

In Game 1, sophomore Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) earned the win in relief (3-1) after allowing just one hit with two strikeouts and no walks over the final 1.1 innings (25 pitches). Starter Kyle Thomas (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) worked the first 5.0 innings (75 pitches) and surrendered just one run (earned) on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Fairmont State starter Joe Elmerick falls to 0-3 this season after tossing a complete game and allowing six runs (all earned) on 13 hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 7.2 innings (120 pitches).

Cal U scored runs in each of the first four innings to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the first, junior center fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) and senior first baseman Adam Links (New Hope, Pa./Central Bucks East) reached base on back-to-back singles before Handza stole home on a double steal to score the Vulcans' first run, 1-0. Welsh then drove in Links from second with an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0.

Faust then led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer to right center, his third of the season, 3-0. In the third, Welsh again drove in Links, this time with an RBI double to left center, to increase the lead to 4-0. An RBI single from senior shortstop Casey Teagarden (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) gave Cal U a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Fairmont State cut the lead to 5-1 in the fifth before scoring two runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings. In the eighth inning with the bases loaded, junior pinch hitter Kyle Bowser (Stoystown, Pa./North Star) delivered a game-winning, walk-off sacrifice fly to left field, 6-5, that scored Welsh.

Welsh finished 4-for-4 with two RBI, while Handza and Links each collected two hits with Links also scoring two runs.

Sophomore starter Tyler Zimm (Fayetteville, W.Va./Oak Hill) earned the win (3-2) in Game 2, allowing one run (earned) on one hit with two strikeouts in 4.0 innings (59 pitches). Junior Ryan Hulme (Aliquippa, Pa./Center) worked the next 2.2 innings (51 pitches), scattering five hits and allowing two runs (both earned) and striking out two. Freshman Kyle Weary (Palmyra, Pa./Palmyra) entered the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, striking out the only batter he faced, to earn his second save of the year.

After the Falcons scored a run in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead, the Vulcans posted four runs in the bottom half of the inning. After senior catcher Eric Berringer (Damascus, Md./Damascus) tripled with one out, senior third baseman Aaron Ordy (Butler, Pa./Butler) singled through the right side to tie the game at 1-1. Handza and Links then added an RBI single and double, respectively, before a Welsh RBI ground out pushed the lead to 4-1. Faust then led off the fourth with a solo homer to left field (fourth of the season) and Bowser scored on a throwing error after he had singled.

Berringer and Bowser each finished 2-for-3 with a run scored in the nightcap to pace the Cal U offense.

The Vulcans are tentatively scheduled to return to action on Saturday, April 16, when they travel to Greensburg, Pa., for a doubleheader against Seton Hill at 1 p.m.