WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 18) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Park, winning 10-2 in Game 1 before losing a 20-8 decision in Game 2.

With the split, the Vulcans move to 19-19 overall and fall to fourth place in the divisional standings with a 13-11 record. Meanwhile, UPJ moves to 7-33-1 overall behind a 7-16-1 mark in league play.

In Game 1, Cal U jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a homer down the left field line by redshirt freshman third baseman Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove). The Vulcans extended the lead to 7-2 on an RBI single by freshman designated hitter Chris Wastchak (Peters Twp., Pa./Peters Township) before a bases-loaded walk by Krause made it 4-2. The Vulcans then added a run via wild pitch on a strikeout to finish the third inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, senior shortstop Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) and junior first baseman David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) led off the inning with back-to-back singles before Wastchak hit a home run to straight-away center field to provide the final scoring.

Wastchak finished the game 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored. Peters tallied a multi-hit game, as he was 2-for-4 with one double and two runs scored. Junior right fielder Jared Grove (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk. Redshirt junior GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) earned the complete-game win after allowing two runs (earned) on 10 hits in 7.0 innings, while striking out six.

In Game 2, the Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first in after junior Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler), who started the game at pitcher before moving to center field, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore left fielder Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). Fennell then scored on a single by Marcus. The Mountain Cats responded in the top of the second when catcher Mason Prickett hit an opposite-field home run to left to take a 3-1 lead. UPJ added two runs on RBI singles by Nate Negri and Sean Sleigh for a 5-1 lead before totaling five more runs to take a 10-1 lead.

UPJ added seven runs in the top of the fourth before Cal U pulled to within 17-7 with a six-run inning in the bottom half of the fourth on a two-run single by sophomore catcher Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic), a three-run double by McGrath and an RBI single from Peters. The Mountain Cats added a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to post the win.

Fennell suffered the loss after allowing nine runs (all earned) in just 1.2 innings of work while striking out one and walking one. Shane Supanick earned the win after tossing 2.1 innings in relief while allowing just two hits.

McGrath totaled three RBI, while Peters and Marcus each tallied two hits in the loss.

Cal U resumes play on Tuesday, April 21, when it hosts West Liberty in a non-conference doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park beginning at 11 a.m.