WASHINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 18) – The Vulcans dropped both games of a season-opening doubleheader on Sunday against Ohio Valley (W.Va.) at Wild Things Park, suffering a 3-2 loss in extra innings in Game 1 before dropping an 11-5 contest under the lights in Game 2.

With the losses, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team starts the campaign with a 0-2 mark. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots improve to 3-4 this year after coming off their winningest season in over a decade.

Due to the snowfall yesterday, the start of Game 1 was delayed nearly 75 minutes before the game lasted nearly 3 hours, 30 minutes. The Vulcans left runners in scoring position in three separate innings before taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Senior third baseman Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) broke the scoreless tie with a solo homer down the left-field line. Senior right fielder Chris Wastchak (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) and junior catcher Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/ inclair) then followed with back-to-back doubles to give Cal U a 2-0 lead.

The Fighting Scots countered with two runs in the seventh to tie the score at 2-2 on consecutive RBI hits following a leadoff hit by pitch. Cal U looked to counter with a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh, as senior second baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa. /Greensburg Central Catholic) lined a double and senior shortstop Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) followed with a walk before a strikeout halted the inning. Both teams were retired in order in the eighth before the Vulcans left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

In extra innings, Ohio Valley led off the top of the 10th with a single before a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt put runners on first and second with no outs. A strikeout and a fielder's choice then setup the Fighting Scots with runners on the corners and two outs before a fly-out ended the inning. The Vulcans led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but were unable to advance the runner into scoring position. The Fighting Scots opened the 11th with a single and later had runners on the corners before the eventual game-winning run scored on a sacrifice fly.

Brooks and Wastchak both finished 2-for-5 in Game 1.

Redshirt junior Matt Carter (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) was saddled with the loss after allowing one run (earned) on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief. Sophomore Nick Riggle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) made the season-opening start and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings (79 pitches). Senior Matthew Carey earned the win for the Fighting Scots after recording 2.0 shutout innings of relief.

In Game 2, the Vulcans used six different pitchers over 7.0 innings with freshman starter Hunter Robinson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) suffering the loss. He allowed six runs (all earned) on four hits and four walks over 3.0-plus innings while also tallying six strikeouts. Ohio Valley senior Charles Emery, who started both games at third base, claimed the victory after scattering seven hits and yielding one run over 3.0 innings of relief.

The Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before adding to the lead with a two-run triple with two outs in the second. Ohio Valley stretched the lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth before Cal U scored two runs in the bottom of the inning. Wastchak reached on a double and eventually scored on a ground-out before the Vulcans later scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, 6-2. The Vulcans continued to cut into the deficit in the fifth, as McGrath and Krause opened the inning with back-to-back walks. Following a pitching change, Wastchak delivered an RBI single and Krause scored on a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-4 contest.

Ohio Valley then sealed the victory by scoring three runs in the sixth and added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Cal U managed to score once in the bottom of the seventh and nearly added another run before the game ended in unique fashion. Redshirt senior Bobby Thompson (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) delivered a pinch-hit triple with one out before junior Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) collected an RBI single through the left side. Junior center fielder Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St.Vincent Pallotti) followed with a single that deflected off a diving infielder that allowed Fairman to advance to third. After a strikeout, junior pinch-hitter Thomas Chisam (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) then lined a pitch between the first and second baseman that deflected off Marchetti for the final out of the game.

Fairman went 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Wastchak finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

The Vulcans return to action next weekend when they host a three-game series against Walsh, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 1 p.m.