WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 22) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team scored a combined eight runs in the seventh inning while dropping both games of a doubleheader against Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, suffering a 12-5 loss in Game 1 and a 13-7 loss in Game 2.

With the sweep, the Vulcans fall to 17-19 this season with a 9-9 record in league action. Meanwhile, The Rock improves to 20-13 overall behind an 11-7 mark in divisional play.

In Game 1, Slippery Rock raced to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first after the Cal U committed a pair of errors in the inning. The Rock added to the lead in the second inning with three more runs, including a two-run homer by catcher Tyler Walters. After Cal U was held hitless over the opening three innings, junior third baseman Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer, his seventh of the year. Redshirt senior first baseman David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) followed with a single before junior right fielder Chris Wastchak (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) drew a walk. Both runners then advanced on a ground-out before the next two batters were retired in order to end the inning.

The Rock answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 9-1 lead behind back-to-back doubles and a two-run homer by shortstop Joe Campagna. In the sixth, Krause led off the inning with a single and Marcus drew a walk before a strikeout and double play halted the rally. Slippery Rock stretched its lead to 12-1 in the seventh before Cal U scored four runs in the bottom of the inning. The Vulcans loaded the bases before sophomore second baseman Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) delivered a three-run triple to right-center field. Marcus later posted an RBI single through the right side with two outs.

Marcus reached base in all four plate appearances after collecting two hits and two walks. Krause finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

Junior starter Carter Krick (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) suffered the loss to fall to 0-3 this year after surrendering six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks in 2.0 innings. Rock starter Alex Pantuso (4-1) earned the win after allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings (110 pitches).

In Game 2, The Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before adding four runs in the third, including a two-run homer by Campagna that hit off the scoreboard in left-center field. Cal U countered with an RBI single by Krause in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 5-1. Slippery Rock again scored four runs in the fourth on a grand slam by first baseman Carson Kessler before senior designated hitter Joe Yourgal (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) countered with a two-run homer, his second of the year, in the bottom of the inning.

Slippery Rock scored four runs for the third-straight inning by batting around in the fifth to take a 13-3 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Cal U posted four runs after five-straight batters reached base with a hit to cut the deficit to 13-7. Marcus started the scoring with an RBI single before Wastchak followed with a two-run single and was tagged out at second on the play. Sophomore designated hitter Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) then reached on a single and Yourgal followed with an RBI double to left-center field.

Five different players recorded multi-hit games, as Cal U finished with 15 hits. Webb went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and Wastchak finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Yourgal posted two hits and three RBI, while Krause and Marchetti both tallied two hits and scored one run.

Senior Andre Jones (New Castle, Pa./Union) was saddled with the loss after being roughed up for nine runs (all earned) on nine hits and three walks in 3.2 innings (75 pitches). Sophomore Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) tossed 2.1 innings of shutout relief in the contest. Rock starter Matt Gordon earned the win after allowing seven runs (all earned) on 15 hits in 6.2 innings (111 pitches).

The Vulcans continue their series with The Rock tomorrow, Sunday, April 23, when they play a doubleheader at Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, starting at 1 p.m.