JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (May 11) – Despite another ninth-inning rally, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team was eliminated from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with a 14-11 loss against Seton Hill at Point Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 37-15 overall and are eliminated from the league tournament after entering as the No. 3 seed from the PSAC West. Cal U now awaits a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, as it was seeded fifth in the latest Atlantic regional rankings. Meanwhile, the Griffins improve to 32-20 this season and advanced to face West Chester in an elimination game later today.
 
In the top of the first inning, senior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) belted a solo homer over the left-field wall, his team-leading 10th of the season, to take a 1-0 lead. Seton Hill responded in the bottom half with a solo homer to left field from redshirt junior Chris Law, his fifth of the year, to tie the game at 1-1. The Griffins looked to add to the lead later in the inning, but stranded a pair of runners in scoring position. After Cal U was retired in order in the second, Seton Hill tallied five runs on five hits, including a trio of RBI singles, to build a 6-1 advantage. Sophomore designated hitter Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) led off with a single up the middle in the third before senior center fielder Ben Maudie (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) laced a single to left field with one out. Senior second baseman Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) then was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Seton Hill escaped the inning with a strikeout and a ground-out.
 
In the top of the fourth, sophomore third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) posted a leadoff double down the left-field line before advancing to third on a wild pitch. With one out, freshman shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) drew a walk before Hitman was hit by a pitch to again load the bases. Junior left fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) and Maudie followed with back-to-back walks to cut the deficit to 6-3. After a pitching change, Marchetti registered a sacrifice fly to left field, as the Vulcans trailed by a 6-4 margin. The Griffins were retired in order in the bottom half before senior catcher Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) and Conte led off the fifth with consecutive singles. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, but a line-out and fly-out ended the inning. Seton Hill extended the lead to 7-4 on an RBI single through the right side in the bottom half before freshman Isaiah DiAndreth launched a two-run homer to left field, his seventh of the season, to take a 9-4 advantage.
 
With two outs in the seventh, Conte reached on an infield single before freshman right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) recorded an RBI triple to left-center to trim the deficit to 9-5. Cal U escaped a two-error seventh inning with no runs surrendered before Previsky drew a walk with one out in the eighth. Maudie then was hit by a pitch and Marchetti reached on a fielder's choice after Previsky made it to third safely before the throw. Fairman followed with a two-run single to left-center to cut the deficit to 9-7. After a pitching change, Webb delivered a sacrifice fly to center field, as the Vulcans trailed by a 9-8 margin. Seton Hill countered in the bottom of the eighth with five runs on four hits, including a two-run homer from redshirt sophomore Parker Denny, his seventh of the year.

In the top of the ninth, Brogan launched a solo homer over the left-field wall, his fourth of the season, to close the gap to 14-9. McCaskey then drew a walk before Previsky belted a two-run homer to left field, as the Vulcans trailed by a 14-11 margin. With two outs, Marchetti doubled to left-center, but Seton Hill induced a ground-out to earn the win.
 
Conte finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Brogan went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI. Fairman tallied two hits, including a solo homer, and three RBI. Previsky posted a two-run homer, three RBI, two runs scored and two walks.
 
Freshman Tyler Bedillion (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs (all earned) on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout in 1.1 innings. Freshman Dylan Brosky (East Millsboro, Pa./Brownsville) tossed 4.2 innings of relief and yielded three runs (all earned) on four hits with two strikeouts. Griffin sophomore Ben Vicini earned the win (1-0) after surrendering four runs (all earned) on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Freshman Caiden Wood secured his second save of the season after working 1.2 innings of relief and allowed three runs (all earned) on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
 
The selection show for the NCAA Tournament will be streamed live tomorrow, Sunday, May 12, at approximately 10 p.m.