INDIANA, Pa. (April 16) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team earned a split of a doubleheader at IUP on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, posting a 7-5 victory before suffering a 21-6 loss.

With the split, the Vulcans move to 21-15 overall with a 14-6 mark in league action. Cal U is now tied with Seton Hill for second place in the PSAC West standings with eight divisional games remaining. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks stand at 17-22 this season behind a 9-11 record in conference play.

In Game 1, Cal U scored at least one run in each of the first four innings before claiming a 7-5 victory. In the top of the first, senior center fielder Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler) led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball before scoring on an RBI single by junior shortstop Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). The Crimson Hawks answered with three runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. Cal U manufactured a run in the second on a walk, stolen base and an RBI single by junior right fielder Bobby Thompson (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second.

Cal U tied the score in the top of third when sophomore first baseman Chris Wastchak (Peters Twp., Pa./Peters Township) belted a solo homer, his fifth of the year. The Vulcans then took the lead at 4-3 later in the inning when sophomore third baseman Austin Logan (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) delivered an RBI single through the right side. In the fourth, Cal U batted around and scored three runs without collecting a hit to take a 7-3 lead. The Vulcans drew three-straight walks to open the inning before Thompson scored when Wastchak reached on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Cal U later scored twice in the inning on wild pitches before leaving the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Crimson Hawks scored on a two-out double before leaving two runners in scoring position. IUP again left two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth before left fielder Scott Hess led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer, 7-5.

Fennell went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Cal U set a season high with nine stolen bases in the victory, as six different players posted at least one steal.

Senior starter GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) earned the win to improve to 3-1 this season after allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits in 4.0-plus innings. Sophomore Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) recorded the save after working 3.0 innings of relief, yielding one run (earned) on four hits. IUP starter Michael Klingensmith suffered the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits and two walks in 3.0-plus innings.

In Game 2, the Vulcans surrendered their most runs in a game since suffering a 23-2 loss in nine innings at No. 18 Mount Olive on Feb. 23, 2014. Cal U used seven different pitchers in the loss and none worked more than 2.2 innings. Junior starter Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) dropped to 2-3 this season after being roughed up for seven runs (all earned) on eight hits in just 0.2 inning.

Cal U manufactured a run in the top of the first before leaving the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning, the Crimson Hawks scored nine runs on 10 hits (eight singles, two doubles) after 13 batters went to the plate. Thompson belted a solo homer to lead off the second before Cal U scored four unearned run in the third to cut the deficit to 9-6. The Vulcans scored twice in the third on two-out errors before Krause followed with a two-run double.

However, IUP scored eight runs on seven hits in the bottom of the third inning to increase the lead to 17-6. The Crimson Hawks later stretched the lead to 21-6 after scoring four runs in the sixth, the third inning in which they batted around.

Thompson finished 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored, while freshman designated Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) and sophomore second baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) both also added two hits.

The Vulcans return to action on Tuesday, April 19, when they host a non-conference doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park against Mansfield at 1 p.m.