LAURINBURG, N.C. (March 8) – Senior center fielder Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler) tallied four hits and scored four runs, including the game-tying run in the ninth, as the Vulcans scored the game-winning run later in the inning on Tuesday afternoon to earn an 8-7 win at St. Andrews (N.C.), a NAIA program.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 5-8 overall. Meanwhile, St. Andrews falls to 10-7 this season after suffering its fourth-straight loss.

Fennell led off the game with a solo homer, his fifth of the year, before the Knights answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Cal U countered with a pair of runs in the second to tie the score at 3-3 with Fennell collecting a two-out RBI single before scoring on an RBI double by junior shortstop Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). St. Andrews reclaimed the lead in the third with a two-run homer by starting pitcher Jeremy McDowell.

Cal U trimmed the deficit to 5-4 in the top of the fifth following back-to-back doubles by junior starting pitcher Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) and senior left fielder Jared Grove (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim). The Knights answered with a pair of runs in the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-4 before the Vulcans tallied one run in both the seventh and eighth. Fennell led off the top of the seventh with a triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly and Grove opened the eighth with a triple before scoring on a double by redshirt sophomore catcher Andrew Grace (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon).

In the ninth, Fennell and McGrath led off the inning with back-to-back singles and Fennell later scored on a sacrifice fly. Yourgal then delivered the go-ahead, RBI single that scored McGrath from second. The Knights loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning without a hit – error, hit by pitch, walk – before the game ended with a ground-out.

Fennell finished 4-for-5 with two RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base while batting leadoff. McGrath and Yourgal both went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored, while Grace and Grove each collected a pair of hits.

Sophomore Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) earned the win after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of relief. Classmate Matt Carter (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) registered the save after recording the final two outs of the game. St. Andrews used six different pitchers in the game with Michael Wright suffering the loss after yielding two runs (all earned) on four hits in 1.0 inning.

Cal U closes out its spring trip tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9, when it faces Winston-Salem State at BB&T Ballpark with first pitch at 2 p.m.