• Game 2 Box Score

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (Feb 22) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team earned a split with No. 5 Mount Olive Saturday afternoon, falling 6-1 before claiming a 6-4 win in the night cap.

With the split, the Vulcans open the season at 1-1 overall, while, the Trojans move to 9-4 overall and have a four-game winning streak snapped.

In Game 1, Mount Olive powered out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, but the Vulcans managed to even the score up in the top of the third inning. Senior Giovanni Morales (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph's Prep) led the frame off with a single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a base-hit, before junior Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) drove him in with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.

Mount Olive reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly and a second solo home run to take a 3-1 lead. Neither team generated much offense over the next four innings, before the Trojans tacked on three runs in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 6-1.

The Vulcans scattered eight hits and struggled to string anything together and did not have a runner in scoring position beyond the third inning. Senior John Orr (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) led Cal U at the plate with a perfect 3-for-3 performance (all singles). Justin Taylor (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle) took the loss for the Vulcans in the first game of the twin bill. He allowed three runs on four hits and struck out three over five innings of work.

In Game 2, the Vulcans jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Peters delivered his second sacrifice fly of the day to score sophomore Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler). Mount Olive claimed the lead in the third inning with a pair of runs and tacked on another in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead after four innings.

Cal U reclaimed the lead when they exploded for five runs in the seventh inning behind four hits and three walks. The Vulcans loaded the bases with one out and drew a pair of RBI walks to even the score at 3-3. After a pitching change, senior Derrik Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) drove in a pair of runs with an RBI single down the left field line to give the Vulcans the lead. Senior Zak Schmidt (Moon, Twp./Moon) followed suit with an RBI-single of his own to give Cal U a 6-3 lead heading into the final frame.

Mount Olive secured a run and had the go-ahead run at the plate with one out, but sophomore Cory Craig (Youngsville, Pa./Youngsville) retired the final two batters to record the save for the Vulcans.

Junior GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out eight to earn the win. Craig closed out the seventh for the win to give the Vulcans a split.

Zeroski led Cal U at the plate, finishing the game 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Last season Cal U was swept in a three-game series at Mount Olive.

The Vulcans will conclude their three-game series with Mount Olive tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 23 with a first-pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.