• Game 1 Box Score
• Game 2 Box Score

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Feb. 24) – The Vulcans scored a combined 18 runs in a season-opening doubleheader sweep over Charleston on Sunday afternoon at Appalachian Power Plant, winning 5-0 and 13-4.

With the victories, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team opens its season with a 2-0 mark. The Vulcans have now won 10 of the 11 meetings against the Golden Eagles since the 2009 season. Meanwhile, Charleston falls to 0-2 this year.

In Game 1, sophomore GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and redshirt senior Eric Francis (New Castle, Pa./Shenango) combined to toss a six-hit, complete-game shutout. Senchak scattered four hits and one walk in 5.0 innings with three strikeouts. Francis yielded just two hits in 2.0 innings of relief while making his first appearance in over a year.

The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the first when senior catcher Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) posted a solo homer, the eighth of his career. Petty, who started at five positions last year, made his first start at catcher since May 12, 2011.

Cal U added to its lead in the fifth with a two-run, bases-loaded single by senior first baseman AJ Robinson (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle), 3-0. The Vulcans posted a pair of insurance runs in the sixth on a two-out, two-run single by freshman left fielder Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler).

Junior second baseman Giovanni Morales (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Freshman designated hitter David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) collected a pair of hits while making his college debut.

Charleston starter Jake Ciolfi (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks in 4.1 innings of work.

In the nightcap, the Vulcans collected 16 hits with five players posting multi-hit games. Morales paced the offense, going 3-for-3 with one double and three runs scored while hitting ninth in the lineup. Robinson went 2-for-3 with three RBI as the cleanup hitter and junior Derrik Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) collected two hits and scored twice. Fennell and Marcus also both tallied a pair of hits in the victory.

Cal U took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before scoring two runs on three hits in the third. Morales scored on a wild pitch and Fennell scored on an RBI single by Petty. The Vulcans then batted around in the fourth, posting four runs on five hits and two walks. The inning opened with back-to-back singles before Marcus scored on an error. After Zeroski scored on a sacrifice fly, Cal U loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Robinson then lined a three-run double to increase the lead to 8-0.

Charleston scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth to trim the deficit to 9-4 before Cal U scored one run in the sixth. The Vulcans then posted three runs in the seventh on four hits and two walks. Zeroski and junior Zak Schmidt (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) started the inning with back-to-back doubles before Schmidt scored on a sacrifice fly. Sophomore Will Kaufman (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) later added an RBI single in the seventh.

Sophomore starter Justin Taylor (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle) collected the win after yielding two runs (one earned) on three hits in 4.0 innings with four strikeouts. Freshmen Jack Dennis (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park) and Cory Craig (Youngsville, Pa./Youngsville) each tossed 1.0 inning of relief in their college debuts, while junior Adam Mylant (Latrobe, Pa./Derry) tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Golden Eagles starter Matt Ward (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs (all earned) on nine hits in 3.1 innings.

Cal U continues its series at Charleston tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 25, with a nine-inning game scheduled to start at 2 p.m.