CARY, N.C. (March 10) – The Vulcans opened their series against Bloomsburg with a 16-10 loss on Tuesday afternoon at the USA Baseball Complex, which has served as the site of the NCAA Division II National Championships since 2009.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team falls to 0-5 this season. Meanwhile, the Huskies opened their year with a victory on Tuesday.

The Vulcans totaled 14 hits in the loss with four players recording multi-hit games. Freshman right fielder Chris Wastchak (Peters Twp., Pa./Peters Township) paced the team by going 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored, while the trio of junior center fielder Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler), sophomore second baseman Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) and senior shortstop Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) each posted two hits and two runs scored.

Cal U raced out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring a pair of runs on wild pitches. The Huskies countered with a run in the second and two runs in the fourth before taking a 5-4 lead in the fifth with solo homers by both first baseman Joey Casselberry and catcher Damin Muth. Bloomsburg then batted around in the top of the sixth, scoring seven runs on seven hits and three walks to take a 12-4 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Vulcans plated six runs to cut the deficit to 12-10. Senior catcher Will Kaufman (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) opened the inning with a solo homer before junior David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) and redshirt junior GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) later posted bases-loaded, RBI singles. Freshman third baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) then cleared the bases with a three-run double.

The Huskies added insurance runs in the top of the ninth by scoring four runs on three hits and four walks.

Freshman Carter Krick (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) suffered the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) on two hits, both solo homers, in 1.0 inning of relief. Junior starter Andre Jones (New Castle, Pa./Union) yielded three runs (all earned) over 4.0 innings on six hits and three walks. Bloomsburg reliever Jared Schaffer (1-0) earned the victory despite allowing six runs (all earned) on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work.

Cal U resumes its series with Bloomsburg tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, with a doubleheader in Cary, North Carolina, beginning at 11 a.m.