WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 28) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team clinched a berth into the PSAC Tournament despite suffering a series loss versus Gannon at Wild Things Park on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 5-2 contest in Game 1 before falling by an 11-5 margin in Game 2 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
 
With the sweep, the Vulcans fall to 32-12 overall with a 16-8 mark in league action. It marks the 16th time head coach Mike Conte has led Cal U to the league tournament with the last appearance during the 2016 campaign. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights also clinched a spot into the PSAC Tournament and improved to 28-12 this season behind an 18-6 mark in divisional play. Mercyhurst and Gannon remain in a tie for first place and will face each other in a four-game series next weekend, while the Vulcans sit third in the divisional standings with seeding still to be determined. 
 
In Game 1, the Vulcans threatened in the bottom of the first after senior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) drew a walk with two outs before a hit by pitch put two runners on base. Sophomore third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) then delivered an infield single to load the bases, but a strikeout stranded the all three runners. After a scoreless second frame, senior center fielder Ben Maudie (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) led off with a double to right field in the third inning. With one out, Maudie stole third and a throwing error by the catcher allowed him to score to take a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, the Golden Knights reached on a fielding error and a single to put runners on the corners. Freshman Ian Hess then grounded out to third, which allowed the runner to score to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) doubled to left field in the bottom half before freshman shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) laced an RBI single to reclaim a 2-1 advantage.
 
Gannon countered in the fifth inning with four runs on five hits after freshman Justin Hamm delivered an RBI triple to right-center. Redshirt freshman Brandon Wetherholt followed with a single through the left side to score Hamm before Wetherholt crossed the plate on a wild pitch later in the inning, 4-2. Hess then posted an RBI single to right-center with two outs to stretch the lead to 5-2. Senior second baseman Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) registered double to left-center with two outs in the bottom of the fifth before Fairman drew a walk. Both runners were left on base after a pop-up ended the frame. Cal U was held hitless over the final two innings, as Gannon claimed the 5-2 victory in Game 1.
 
McCaskey finished 1-for-2 with one RBI and one walk, while Maudie recorded a double, one run scored, one walk and a stolen base.
 
Senior starter Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) was saddled the loss (6-1) after yielding five runs (four earned) on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts over 4.2 innings (73 pitches). Freshman Patrick Gumto (Allison, Park, Pa./Shaler) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts in his 15th appearance this season. Gannon junior Eric Sapp earned the win (5-1) after working a 7.0-inning, complete-game against the Vulcans. He surrendered two runs (all earned) on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings (105 pitches).
 
In Game 2, the Golden Knights established an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI double from junior Elijah Quiceno before senior Jared Beach singled to right-center to score Quiceno. In the bottom of the first, Marchetti drew a walk and stole second base before senior designated hitter Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) singled through the right side to cut the deficit to 2-1. Gannon left the bases loaded in the second frame before Beach launched a two-run homer to right-center, his PSAC-leading 13th of the season, to take a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Cal U cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth after freshman catcher Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler) drew a walk with two outs. Junior left fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) then recorded an inside-the-park home run after lacing a ball into right-center field, 4-3. Maudie followed with a walk before Marchetti delivered an RBI single into shallow center field to tie the score at 4-4.
 
Gannon responded in the fifth with an RBI ground-out to reclaim a 5-4 advantage. In the top of the sixth inning, Quiceno appeared to register a two-run double, but the trail runner failed to touch third base, which resulted in only one run scoring to take a 6-4 lead. Previsky notched a double to left field with one out in the bottom half before scoring on a throwing error by the center fielder after a fly-out to close the gap to 6-5. The Golden Knights pulled away in the seventh with five runs on three hits to take an 11-5 advantage before retiring Cal U in order to secure the win.
 
Previsky went 2-for-3 with one homer, two RBI and two runs scored, while Webb finished 2-for-4 with one RBI
 
Senior starter Damian Clarke (Carlisle, Ontario/Waterdown) suffered the loss (3-2) after allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits with one walk and one strikeout over 4.0 innings (74 pitches). Senior Ty Phelps improved to 1-1 this season after surrendering four runs (all earned) on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts in 4.1 innings (82 pitches). Senior Matthew Yough earned his second save this year after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts.
 
The Vulcans return to action on Friday, May 3, when they travel to face Slippery Rock in a road doubleheader with first pitch set for 1 p.m.