• Box Score

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (March 15) – Despite scoring 11 runs in the third inning and five players posting multi-hit games, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team suffered a 16-14 loss to No. 29 Mount Olive on Thursday afternoon at Scarborough Field.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 9-9 this season after posting a 2-5 record during their southern trip. During the trip, Cal U played games in three states and faced five nationally-ranked opponents. Meanwhile, Mount Olive improves to 15-6 overall after winning eight of its last nine games.

The Trojans took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first before adding four runs in the second, 7-0. Cal U answered with its highest-scoring inning since March 2010, posting 11 runs on seven hits, three walks, two hit by pitch and one error.  With the bases loaded, junior designated hitter Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) lined a two-run single to left field before freshman shortstop Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) scored from third on a wild pitch. Junior first baseman AJ Robinson (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle) followed with an RBI single before scoring on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. In his second plate appearance of the inning, freshman third baseman Blake Henderson (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) drew a bases-loaded walk before senior second baseman Kyle Bowser (Stoystown, Pa./North Star) tied the game at 7-7 with an RBI single. The Vulcans then took the lead with three-straight RBI singles to take an 11-7 lead.

After Mount Olive scored twice in the bottom of the third, Cal U responded with a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, 12-9. The Trojans again scored twice in the fourth before tying the game at 12-12 in the fifth. The Vulcans manufactured a two-out really in the sixth with three-straight hits, including an RBI single by freshman Will Kaufman (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) to take a 13-12 lead. The Trojans quickly responded with a solo homer by left fielder Will Bynum before adding two more runs in the inning to reclaim the lead, 15-13.

Mount Olive scored an insurance run in the seventh before senior center fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) scored on an error in the eighth to trim the lead to 16-14.

Freshman Dave Kucenic (South Park, Pa./South Park), who was one of six pitchers used by the Vulcans, was saddled with the loss (0-3) after allowing three runs (all earned) in 2.0 innings (16 pitches) of relief. In his first career start, classmate Luke Burton (Ambridge, Pa./Ambridge) was roughed up for six runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks in 1.0-plus innings (42 pitches). Trojans' senior Chris Hinton (1-0) recorded the win in relief after allowing three runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings (82 pitches).

Handza posted his team-leading eighth multi-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, one walk and two steals. Peters collected three singles and scored twice to finish the spring trip with a team-best .409 batting average (9-for-22). Petty and Robinson each finished with two hits and three RBI against Mount Olive.

The Vulcans return to action in the Keystone State this weekend when they open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a four-game series against IUP. The series starts with a home doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park on Saturday, March 17, at 1 p.m. Live stats of the games will be available by clicking here.