BUTLER, Pa. (April 6) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team claimed a split of a doubleheader against Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action on Friday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park, falling 7-5 in Game 1 before posting a 14-0 victory in Game 2.
 
With the split, the Vulcans move to 14-11 on the season with a 5-5 record in league play. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles stand at 7-18 overall behind a 2-8 mark in conference action. 
 
In Game 2, Cal U boasted five players with multiple hits, as senior second baseman Garrett Brooks (Connellsville, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) went 4-for-4 with a career-high four RBI and two runs scored. Senior shortstop Austin Logan (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) finished with two hits, one RBI, four runs scored and two steals, while junior center fielder Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Seniors Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) and Chris Wastchak (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) both collected two hits and one RBI in the win. Junior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored on Friday. After totaling 17 hits in the contest, Cal U has now totaled at least 12 hits in eight games this season.
 
Cal U scored the initial runs of the contest after Logan reached base on an error by the third baseman to start the inning. Logan advanced to second on a stolen base before moving to third on a single from Brooks. Krause then laced an RBI single to left field to take a 1-0 lead before Brooks scored from third later in the inning. The Vulcans stretched their lead in the top of the second after recording two hits, three runs and four stolen bases in the inning. Junior left fielder Ben Maudie (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) drew a walk and a pair of steals to reach third base before Logan registered a walk and a stolen base to make it second base. Brooks then laced a two-run single through the right side to take a 4-0 lead.
 
In the third, Cal U notched five runs and five hits to extended its lead after Fairman led off the inning with a double to left center before redshirt freshman right fielder Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) drew a walk to reach base. The Vulcans then recorded three-straight RBI singles from Maudie, Marchetti and Logan before Brooks added a two-run double to left field to take a 9-0 advantage. Cal U posted one run in the fourth after Fairman notched a triple before scoring on an error from the left fielder. The Vulcans responded with two more runs in the fifth after loading the bases with a pair of singles and an error by the third baseman. Wastchak followed with an RBI single until Webb recorded a sacrifice fly to take a 12-0 lead. Junior Thomas Chisam (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) then belted a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to add a pair of insurance runs, 14-0.
 
Sophomore starter Nick Riggle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) earned the complete-game shutout victory (3-2) after scattering four hits with zero walks and six strikeouts in 7.0 innings. The Keystone Oaks product has now posted three-consecutive complete games and recorded his first collegiate shutout on Friday. Clarion redshirt freshman Nate Torbich was saddled with the loss (1-4) after being roughed up for six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks over 2.1 innings.
 
In Game 1, Clarion opened an early 3-0 lead after freshman Bryce Jackson belted a three-run homer to right center in the bottom of the first. The Vulcans nearly answered in the second inning before stranding two runners in scoring position. Both teams were scoreless in the second and third innings until Cal U scored a run in the top of the fourth. Fairman registered a single up the middle with two outs before advancing to second on a stolen base. Brooks then notched an RBI single, as the Vulcans trailed 3-1.
 
In the fifth, Cal U trimmed the deficit to 3-2 after Marchetti started the inning with a bunt single to shortstop. An infield single from redshirt senior Bobby Thompson (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) advanced Marchetti to third before Wastchak scored a run with a single to left field. The Vulcans left two runners in scoring position to end the fifth after Wastchak and Thompson advanced on a double steal. The Golden Eagles answered in the bottom half of the inning by scoring four runs on four hits, highlighted by three extra-base hits to take a 7-2 advantage. Cal U responded with three runs in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit to 7-5. After a two-out walk, Marchetti launched a two-run homer to right field, his first collegiate home run, to cut the deficit to two runs. The Vulcans then collected a pair of walks before Maudie registered an RBI single to left field. Cal U closed out the inning by stranding two runners on the bases.
 
Senior starter Carter Krick (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) suffered the loss (2-2) after yielding six runs (all earned) on four hits with four strikeouts over 4.2 innings (81 pitches). Sophomore Corey Fogle (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) logged 1.1 innings of relief with three strikeouts and allowed one run (earned) on three hits. Golden Eagle sophomore Jeremy Frazier earned the win (2-4) after surrendering five runs (all earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings (117 pitches). Freshman Dereck Pritchard recorded his first collegiate save after working 0.2 inning of relief.
 
Marchetti went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Fairman collected two hits, one run scored and one steal. The Vulcans recorded five steals from five different players in Game 1. 
 
Cal U returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, April 7, when it continues its series versus Clarion with a doubleheader in Washington, Pennsylvania, at Wild Things Park, starting at 1 p.m.