• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

ERIE, Pa. (March 23) – The Vulcans were limited to two runs on Friday afternoon while being swept in a doubleheader at No. 16 Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, falling 3-1 and 7-1.

With the losses, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team falls to 12-12 overall and 3-3 in league play. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst improves to 17-5 this season with a 2-0 mark in divisional action.

In Game 1, junior Kyle Thomas (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) suffered the loss while tossing his third complete game this season. He allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits with two walks in 6.0 innings on Friday. Lakers' starter Eric Aschley (3-2) earned the complete-game victory, yielding one run (earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth when senior center fielder Troy Handza (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) belted a solo homer, his first of the season and 19th of his career.  Mercyhurst answered in the fifth with a game-tying, two-out RBI single by right fielder Andrew Fitzpatrick before taking a 3-1 lead in sixth with a two-run homer by left fielder Shane Latshaw. In the seventh, Cal U brought the game-winning run to the plate before the game ended on a fielder's choice.

In the loss, the Vulcans out-hit the Lakers after junior right fielder Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) went 3-for-4.

In the nightcap, Petty (5-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing a career-high seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. Mercyhurst's Ben Rawding improved to 4-0 this season after yielding one run (earned) on four hits in 7.0 innings.

Handza delivered a two-out RBI triple in the top of the first before the Lakers countered with four runs on five hits and one error in the third, 4-1. Center fielder Ryan Siegel gave Mercyhurst the lead with a three-run homer before designated hitter Jake Janeczko lined a two-out RBI single.

Siegel added a solo homer in the fifth before the Lakers scored a pair of runs in the sixth, including a solo homer by Lathsaw, to increase their lead to 7-1.

Handza collected two of the team's four hits in Game 2.

The Vulcans are scheduled to continue their series with the No. 16 Lakers tomorrow, Saturday, March 24, with a doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa., starting at 1 p.m. Live stats of the games will be available by clicking here.