WASHINGTON, Pa. (March 25) – The Vulcans claimed a split of a doubleheader against Seton Hill on Friday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Park in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, suffering a 4-0 loss before posting a 4-2 victory.

With the split, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team moves to 12-10 overall with a 5-1 mark in league action. Meanwhile, Seton Hill stands at 16-7 this season with a 4-2 record in divisional play.

In Game 1, starting pitchers Jack Dennis (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park) and Perry DellaValle combined to allow only five hits with the Griffins scoring the only runs of the game on a grand slam in the top of the third. Dennis (3-2) allowed four runs (all earned) on three hits, three walks and three hit by pitches in 5.2 innings (99 pitches). DellaValle (4-0) tossed his first complete-game shutout of the season while lowering his ERA to 0.23, allowing only one earned run in 38.2 innings.

Cal U collected its only two hits of the game in the bottom of the first. In the third, the Griffins loaded the bases on a pair singles and a hit by pitch before designated hitter Chris Miller belted a grand slam, his eighth homer of the season. In the sixth, Seton Hill looked to add an insurance run after the first two batters of the inning reached on consecutive hit by pitches. Following a strikeout, the Griffins attempted a double steal of second and third with the lead runner being thrown out. The remaining base runner eventually moved to third on a wild pitch before junior Bobby Thompson (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) retired the final out of the inning. Thompson worked the final 1.1 innings of the game and retired all four batters he faced.

Following a two-out single in the first, DellaValle retired the final 19 batters in order and faced just two over the minimum in 7.0 innings (67 pitches).

In Game 2, senior Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler) earned the complete-game victory after allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk in 7.0 innings (96 pitches). Seton Hill senior Mike Bittel suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks in 6.0 innings (116 pitches).

The Griffins took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third before the Vulcans answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Fennell led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a walk and hit by pitch before scoring on a fielder's choice.  With runners then on the corners, senior first baseman David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) scored on a wild pitch.  Following a walk, sophomore second baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) lined an RBI single to center field and advanced to second on a throwing error. Cal U then added to its lead when redshirt sophomore catcher Andrew Grace (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) scored on a wild pitch.

Seton Hill looked to trim the deficit in the fourth on a sacrifice fly before the umpires overturned the run due the runner at third leaving early. The Griffins later cut the score to 4-2 in the top of the seventh with a pinch-hit RBI double that followed a fielding error. Fennell then induced a foul-out before issuing a walk that brought the potential, go-ahead run to the plate. The game ended with an opposite-field fly-out to right field by Miller, who belted the grand slam in Game 1.

The Vulcans continue their weekend series with the Griffins tomorrow, Saturday, March 26, with a doubleheader in nearby Greensburg, Pennsylvania.