THOMASVILLE, N.C. (March 5) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team was swept in a doubleheader against Lock Haven on Saturday afternoon, falling 6-4 and 14-1 while opening its Spring Break trip to North Carolina.
With the losses, the Vulcans fall to 3-7 overall and have now lost six-straight games, being out-scored by a 71-21 margin during that span. Meanwhile, the Bald Eagles improve to 4-2 this season.
In Game 1, Cal U had the bases loaded with the game-tying run on second base in the seventh before Lock Haven induced a double play to end the game. Senior starter
Jack Dennis (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks over 4.0 innings. Sophomore
Matt Carter (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) yielded one run (earned) on two hits in 3.0 innings of work in relief. Lock Haven starter Parker Watson earned the win after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks in 5.1 innings and Nick Hornbaker registered the save after working 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The Bald Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second before collecting back-to-back, two-out RBI singles in the third. Cal U cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the third on a solo homer by senior center fielder
Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler). Lock Haven answered with a run in the fourth before Cal U led off the bottom of the inning with a homer by senior left fielder
Jared Grove (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) and later scored on a ground-out, 5-4.
Lock Haven added an insurance run in the fifth before Cal U responded with a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Bald Eagles answered with a run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
Grove went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored.
In Game 2, Fennell was saddled with the loss after being roughed up for nine runs (four earned) on four hits, six walks and two hit by pitch in 2.0-plus innings. Lock Haven starter Mike Anthony earned the victory after allowing one run (earned) on four hits and four walks in 6.0 innings.
The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead on a two-out RBI single by Grove in the top of the first before the Bald Eagles countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Lock Haven added five runs in the second, including a grand slam by third baseman Ethan Moore, before scoring two runs in the third to take a 9-1 lead.
The Bald Eagles scored two runs in the fourth before adding one run in the fifth. Lock Haven posted two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 14-1 lead.
Cal U continues its weekend series with Lock Haven tomorrow, Sunday, March 6, when they play a nine-inning game in Thomasville, North Carolina, at 1 p.m.
