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WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 8) – Senior right fielder
Chuck Gasti (Carmichaels, Pa./Carmichaels) delivered a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth on Monday afternoon, as the Vulcans rallied to score two runs in the ninth to earn a 3-2 non-conference victory over No. 20 Seton Hill at CONSOL Energy Park.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 21-7 overall behind a 14-4 record in home games. The Vulcans posted their first walk-off victory of the season with Gasti posting a game-winning single in each of their last two walk-off wins. Meanwhile, the Griffins fall to 25-8 this season after appearing in three-consecutive NCAA Regional Tournaments.
Trailing 2-1 entering the ninth, senior third baseman
Kyle Petty (Stewartsville, N.J./Phillipsburg) opened the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on an throwing error by the pitcher who fielded a sacrifice bunt by senior first baseman
AJ Robinson (Milesburg, Pa./Bald Eagle). Sophomore
Chris Mitko (Columbus, Ohio/Northland) then entered as a pinch runner for Robinson and both runners advanced into scoring position on another sacrifice bunt. Sophomore shortstop
Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby), who was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Hitter of the Week earlier in the day, followed with a game-tying single to shallow right field, scoring Petty and advancing Mitko to third. Freshman left fielder
Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler) was then intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. With the entire infield playing in, Gasti lined a 0-1 delivery to right field that allowed Mitko to score after the Griffins' right fielder was unable to making a diving catch.
Sophomore
Kyle Mann (DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) earned the win after tossing 1.0 of scoreless relief on Monday. Freshman starter
Jack Dennis (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park) took a no-decision despite allowing two unearned runs on six hits and no walks while pitching a career-high 8.0-plus innings (89 pitches) with six strikeouts. Seton Hill Austin Sleek (0-1) was saddled with the loss after yielding two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk in just 0.1 inning of relief.
The Griffins broke a scoreless tie in the fourth, capitalizing on a one-out throwing error. Following the error, Seton Hill collected back-to-back singles to load the bases before scoring runs on a sacrifice fly and single, 2-0. Cal U had two runners on base with one in the fifth before a double play ended the threat without allowing a run.
The Vulcans trimmed the deficit in the bottom of the sixth by manufacturing a run on two singles and a sacrifice bunt. Junior second baseman
Derrik Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) started the inning with a single and advanced to second on the sacrifice before scoring on an RBI single by Petty down the left-field line.
In the top of the ninth, the first two Griffins reached base against Dennis, who had allowed only two base runners except for the fourth inning, on a fielding error and a single. Mann, who was making only his third pitching appearance of the year, tossed a wild pitch to the first batter he faced that allowed both runners to advance into scoring position. He bounced back and registered a strikeout before inducing a shallow fly-out to right field that prevented a run from scoring. Mann closed the inning without allowing a run by forcing a high pop-up behind home plate.
Fennell, Peters and Peters each finished with two hits in the victory. Petty extended his hitting streak to 12 games and is batting .450 (18-for-40) with 11 RBI, nine runs scored and nine steals during that span.
Cal U returns to CONSOL Energy Park tomorrow, Tuesday, April 9, with a non-conference doubleheader against Notre Dame (Ohio) at 1 p.m.
