INDIANA, Pa. (March 24) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team completed the series sweep at IUP with a pair of comeback victories on Sunday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, winning 6-3 in Game 1 and 7-6 in Game 2.
 
With the victories, the Vulcans stretch their winning streak to six-straight games to improve to 16-3 this season behind a 4-0 mark in league action. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks fall to 6-11 overall with a 0-4 record in conference action.
 
In Game 1, Cal U entered the seventh inning trailing 3-2 before rallying to score four runs on three hits. Freshman second baseman Anthony Venezia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) led off the frame with a walk before advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt. With one out, senior left fielder Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) reached on a fielder's choice, which allowed the runner to score from third to tie the score at 3-3. Senior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) followed with a go-ahead RBI double to left-center to take a 4-3 advantage. Fairman moved to third on a stolen base before senior designated hitter Thomas Chisam (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) posted an RBI on a ground-out to extend the lead to 5-3. Sophomore third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) then drew a walk before junior right fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) notched a single through the right side to place runners on the corners. Freshman shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) delivered an RBI single to left field to stretch the lead to 6-3.
 
IUP claimed an early 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning, but would strand a pair of runners to close the inning. The Vulcans answered in the top of the second with a two-out RBI single from Venezia to cut the deficit to 2-1. After a scoreless third and fourth inning, Marchetti was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the fifth. Chisam delivered a two-out double to left-center to score the runner and tie the game at 2-2. In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore Nick Hess belted a solo homer to right-center, his fifth of the year, as the Crimson Hawks reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
 
Venezia finished 1-for-2 with one RBI, one run scored and a walk, while Fairman went 1-for-3, one RBI, one run scored, one walk and two stolen bases. Marchetti finished 1-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.
 
Senior starter Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) earned a 7.0-inning, complete-game victory to improve to 3-0 on the season. He yielded three runs (all earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 7.0 innings. Crimson Hawk redshirt sophomore Nick Kuhn was saddled with the loss (1-1) after surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk in 1.0 inning of relief. IUP senior Brian Albert took a no-decision after allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks over 6.0 innings.
 
In Game 2, the Crimson Hawks jumped out to an early lead with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first inning. Cal U countered in the top of the third after Fairman reached base on a fielder's choice before advancing to third on a wild pitch and a stolen base. Chisam followed with a walk before a wild pitch scored Fairman from third, 4-1. Sophomore Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) then drew a walk before McCaskey registered an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 4-2.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth frame before the Vulcans scored five runs on just two hits in the sixth. McCaskey led off the inning with a walk before IUP recorded back-to-back outs. Venezia also drew a walk and Maudie was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Previsky entered the game as a pinch runner for Venezia. Marchetti delivered a two-run single through the right side to tie the game at 4-4. Fairman then launched a three-run homer to center field, his second of the season, to take a 7-4 advantage. A comeback effort by IUP fell short after posting two runs on two hits in the bottom of the seventh, while stranding the game-tying run on third to end the contest.
 
Fairman finished with a three-run homer, two runs scored, two walks and three stolen bases. He has now totaled 63 career stolen bases to move into a tie for fifth overall in Cal U history with Lee Rohan (2006-07). McCaskey went 1-for-2 with one RBI, one run scored and two walks, while Marchetti finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.
 
Senior starter Damian Clarke (Carlisle, Ontario/Waterdown) improved to 2-0 on the year after yielding five runs (all earned) on 11 hits and issued one walk over 6.0 innings. Freshman Dylan Brosky (East Millsboro, Pa./Brownsville) secured his first collegiate save after allowing one run (earned) on one hit in 1.0 scoreless inning of relief. IUP sophomore Billy Welsh suffered the loss (0-1) after failing to record an out in the sixth inning and surrendering four runs (all earned) on two hits. Crimson Hawk junior Tyler Adams posted a no-decision after working 4.1 innings with two runs (all earned) on one hit with six strikeouts and nine walks.  
 
The Vulcans return to action on Tuesday, March 26, when they travel to face Lake Erie for a non-conference doubleheader in Painesville, Ohio, starting at 1 p.m.