WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. (April 11) – Junior Neil Dudley (Odenton, Md./Chesapeake) tossed a complete-game shutout in Game 1, as the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader at West Liberty on Tuesday afternoon, posting a 6-0 win before suffering a 6-5 loss in Game 2.

With the split, the Vulcans move to 13-15 overall while playing their first road doubleheader of the year. Meanwhile, the Hilltoppers, which are one of the top teams in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) standings, stand at 19-10 this season.

In Game 1, Dudley allowed just three hits in the shutout and Cal U belted a pair of homers in the 6-0 victory. Junior second baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) and sophomore catcher Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) both posted two hits with a solo homer.

Webb led off the top of the second with a solo homer, his third of the year, before Cal U extended the lead to 2-0 when redshirt senior first baseman David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) recorded a two-out RBI double. The Vulcans added two runs in the fourth inning, as junior third baseman Andrew Grace (Moon Twp.,Pa./Moon) collected an RBI double and later score on a passed ball.

Brooks started the seventh with a home run, his third of the year, before Cal U scored the last run of the game on a ground-out. Dudley retired the last 11 Hilltopper batters to preserve the shutout.

In Game 2, the Vulcans moved the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the seventh before a fly-out ended the game. West Liberty rallied from a 4-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth inning. Marcus gave Cal U 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI double that scored Brooks, who opened the game with a single. The Vulcans left the bases loaded in the top of the second before tallying two runs in the third on bases-loaded walks.

The Hilltoppers cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer and claimed the lead an inning later with three runs. West Liberty tied the score at 3-3 on an RBI single before Cal U nearly ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. However, an error on a strikeout allowed the Hilltoppers to load the bases. West Liberty capitalized on the error with a two-run single with two outs before adding an insurance run in the sixth. The Vulcans scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh before leaving the game-tying run on second.

Marcus and Brooks each finished the game with two hits. Senior Caleb Catherine (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) was saddled with the loss after retiring two batters in the relief, allowing one run (unearned) on two hits. West Liberty reliever Mitchell Viakley earned the win after working 1.0 shutout inning.

Cal U returns to action on Friday, April 14, when it hosts a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubleheader against Gannon in Washington, Pennsylvania, at 1 p.m.