GREENSBURG, Pa. (April 22) – With a doubleheader sweep on Monday afternoon, the Vulcans earned their first league series win over Seton Hill by securing a 3-2 win in Game 1 before claiming a 10-6 victory in Game 2 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
 
With the sweep, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 30-9 this season and moves back into a tie for first place in the divisional standings with a 15-5 mark. The Vulcans claimed their first conference series win over Seton Hill, who joined the PSAC in 2013. Head coach Mike Conte also reached the 30-win mark for the ninth time in his career and the first time since the 2013 campaign. Meanwhile, the Griffins fall to 20-18 overall behind an 11-9 record in conference play.
 
In Game 1, senior starter Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) earned the win (6-0) after yielding two runs (all earned) on three hits and one walk over 6.1 innings (71 pitches). He retired the side in order four times, while forcing 10 fly-outs and eight ground-outs. Eritz holds a 3.35 ERA in nine appearances and ranks second on the team with six wins this season. Sophomore Hunter Robinson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) closed the game with a two-out save, his second of the season, after allowing zero runs on one hit in relief. Seton Hill redshirt sophomore Nicholas Behm suffered the loss after surrendering three runs (all earned) on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 5.0 innings (81 pitches).
 
In the top of the first, senior center fielder Ben Maudie (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) led off with a single before advancing to second on a stolen base. The Griffins escaped the inning with a strikeout and fly-out to strand the runner in scoring position. Cal U turned a double play in bottom half to keep the game scoreless before freshman shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) posted a triple to right field with two outs in the second frame. Seton Hill once again left the runner on base after a ground-out ended the inning. Eritz retired the side in the bottom of the second before the Vulcans scored three runs on three hits in the third frame. With two outs, senior second baseman Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) drew a walk and stole second base. Senior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) then belted a two-run homer to left-center, his fifth of the year, as Cal U grabbed a 2-0 lead. Junior designated hitter Corey Fogle (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) followed with a single before sophomore third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) delivered an RBI double to left field to extend the advantage, 3-0.
 
The Griffins countered in the bottom of the third with a solo homer to center field by redshirt senior Nick Stotler, his sixth of the season, to cut the deficit to 3-1. Both teams were retired in the order in the fourth before Maudie singled to lead off the top of the fifth. He advanced to third on a ground-out and wild pitch before Seton Hill recorded back-to-back outs to stay within two runs of the lead. In the top of the seventh, the Griffins looked to rally after recording a leadoff double to right field. A ground-out moved the runner to third before freshman Isaiah DiAndreth registered an RBI single through the left side, 3-2. A single and a fielding error loaded the bases with one out before a double play secured the victory for the Vulcans.  
 
Maudie finished 3-for-4 with one stolen base, while Fairman went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two RBI. Conte also finished 1-for-3 with one RBI against the Griffins.
 
In Game 2, the Vulcans got on the board in the top of the second after Fogle led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, freshman right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) laced an RBI double to left-center to take an early 1-0 lead. Seton Hill responded in the bottom half with three runs on four hits after posting a pair of RBI singles and scoring on a bunt to take a 3-1 advantage. In the top of the third, Maudie launched a triple to right-center before Marchetti registered a single to center field to trim the deficit to 3-2. The Griffins answered once again with a sacrifice fly to center field in bottom half of the frame, 4-2. After a scoreless fourth inning, Cal U scored four runs on four hits in the fifth to take a 6-4 lead. Senior catcher Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) started the frame with single to center field and sophomore left fielder Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) reached on a fielding error. Maudie would single through the left side to load the bases before a balk scored Webb from third. Marchetti then delivered a two-run triple down the right-field line before Fairman also tallied an RBI triple to right-center.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Griffins closed the gap to 6-5 on an RBI ground-out from redshirt senior Andrew Chuba. The Vulcans capitalized on an error in the top of the seventh to score four runs on just two hits. With one out, Fairman drew a walk and stole second base before Fogle singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Conte walked to load the bases and Brogan recorded an RBI on a fielder's choice after the second baseman dropped a potential double-play ball, 7-5. With the bases loaded, Webb posted a three-run double to right-center to extend the lead to 10-5. Seton Hill managed to score one run on three singles in the bottom of the seventh before the Vulcans claimed the victory on a fielder's choice out to end the game.
 
Webb finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored, while Marchetti went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Maudie finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored in Game 2.
 
Senior starter Damian Clarke (Carlisle, Ontario/Waterdown) improved to 3-1 this season after surrendering four runs (all earned) on six hits with two walks and one strikeout in 4.1 innings (75 pitches). Freshman Dylan Brosky (East Millsboro, Pa./Brownsville) and Robinson combined to toss the final 2.2 innings of the game while yielding a combined two runs (all earned) on three hits. Griffin freshman Marshall McGraw allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 4.0 innings (76 pitches).
 
The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, April 24, when they travel to face West Liberty in a non-conference, nine-inning contest at the JB Chambers Baseball/Softball Complex in Wheeling, West Virginia, with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m.