WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 27) – The Vulcans totaled five homers, including three by junior
Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic), and scored a combined 21 runs in a doubleheader sweep against West Liberty in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Park, winning 16-1 and 5-4.
With the sweep, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 24-18 overall behind a 14-6 mark at home. Meanwhile, West Liberty falls to 23-19 this season after being ranked ninth in the initial NCAA Division II Atlantic regional rankings that were released on Wednesday.
In Game 1, Youral finished 3-for-4 with two homers, six RBI and four runs scored. Freshman left field
Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, five RBI and three runs scored, while junior
Bobby Thompson (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) finished 3-for-3 with three RBI. Freshman
Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) posted two hits and scored three runs, while sophomore
Chris Wastchak (Peters Twp., Pa./Peters Township) belted a solo homer and scored three runs.
The Hilltoppers scored one run in the top of the first before the Vulcans answered with seven runs in the bottom of the inning. Cal U loaded the bases with three-straight walks before Yourgal drew a bases-loaded walk and sophomore second baseman
Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) followed with an RBI single. Fairman then belted a grand slam, the third by the Vulcans this season, before West Liberty made a pitching change. Sophomore third baseman
Austin Logan (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) lined a triple to left-center field before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Thompson.
Cal U stretched the lead to 13-1 after scoring three runs in both the second and third innings. In the second, Yourgal posted an RBI double before scoring on a triple by Fairman and Thompson later collected an RBI single through the right side. Yourgal belted a three-run homer in the third after the inning opened with back-to-back walks. In the fifth, Thompson registered a two-out RBI single before Wastchak and Yourgal each belted solo homers in the sixth.
Freshman
Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) improved to 1-1 this season while making his first career start. He yielded one run (unearned) and scattered five hits and one walk over 5.0 innings (64 pitches). Classmate
Aaron Wolf (Croydon, Pa./Harry S. Truman) then allowed only one hit in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. West Liberty starter Connor Clark (1-1) was saddled with the loss after being roughed up for six runs (all earned) on two hits and four walks in just 0.1 inning.
In Game 2, the Vulcans rallied to score five-unanswered runs to complete the doubleheader sweep. Cal U trailed 4-3 in the sixth before Webb led off the inning and Yourgal then delivered the go-ahead, two-run homer.
Sophomore
Brandon Warner (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) improved to 1-0 this year after working 1.0 scoreless inning of relief and classmate
Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) recorded his second save of the year after also tossing 1.0 inning of scoreless relief. West Liberty reliever Tory Fuscardo (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing two runs (both earned) in 1.0-plus inning of relief.
The Hilltoppers scored an unearned run in both the first and third inning before adding two runs in top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Brooks drew a bases-loaded walk before Fairman and Logan collected back-to-back RBI singles before a double play ended the rally.
Logan went 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Yourgal posted a pair of RBI and scored twice behind his seventh homer of the year.
Cal U closes the regular season this weekend when it opens a series against Pitt-Johnstown by hosting a doubleheader at CONSOL Energy Park on Friday, April 29, at 4 p.m.
