WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 2) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team posted a doubleheader split with Gannon on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action, winning 9-1 before losing 8-3 at CONSOL Energy Park.
With the split, the Vulcans move to 16-12 overall behind a 9-3 mark in league play. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights stand at 21-8 this season with a 9-3 record in divisional action. Cal U and Gannon, along with Mercyhurst, are tied for first place in the PSAC West standings following three weeks of league play.
In Game 1, senior
GJ Senchak (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) improved to 2-1 this season with the complete-game victory. He allowed one run (earned) on six hits and two walks in 7.0 innings (83 pitches). Senchak forced the Golden Knights to leave eight runners on base, including four in scoring position.
Cal U raced out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first after scoring runs on a fielding error, single and ground-out before redshirt sophomore
Andrew Grace (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) belted a two-run homer. The Vulcans stretched the lead to 9-0 in the second after the inning opened with another fielding error. With the bases loaded, sophomore right fielder
Chris Wastchak (Peters Twp., Pa./Peters Township) delivered a three-run triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Gannon scored its lone run of the contest with a two-out single in the fourth and later loaded the bases before Senchak induced a ground-out to end the inning.
Gannon starter Santiago Mendez (5-1), who entered play with a 1.42 ERA, suffered the loss after being roughed up for nine runs (five earned) on nine hits and five walks in 5.0 innings (103 pitches).
Senior center fielder
Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while becoming just the sixth player in school history to reach the 200-hit mark. Junior designated hitter
Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa/Lancaster Catholic) finished 2-for-2 with one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore third baseman
Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) posted two hits and junior left fielder
Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) scored twice.
In Game 2, Gannon jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first behind five singles and three stolen bases. Both teams stranded a runner at third in the fourth before the Golden Knights increased their lead to 6-0 in the fifth by scoring two runs on just one single in the inning.
The Vulcans countered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim the deficit to 6-3. McGrath drew a bases-loaded walk before Wastchak lined a two-run single down the right-field line before Gannon made a pitching change. The reliever then retired the next two batters to force Cal U to leave the bases loaded. The Golden Knights answered with two runs in the sixth, scoring on a fielder's choice and a squeeze play, 8-3.
Yourgal (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits in 2.0 innings before five relievers combined to work the final 5.0 innings. Gannon starter Joey Colosi (2-0) earned the win after yielding three runs (all earned) on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings (82 pitches).
Grace collected two of the team's six hits in the loss, finishing 2-for-3 with one run scored.
Cal U returns to action on Friday, April 8, when it travels to play a doubleheader at Slippery Rock, starting at 1 p.m.
