JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (May 10) – The Vulcans scored seven runs in the top of the ninth to erase a four-run deficit and claim an 11-9 victory over No. 7 Millersville in an elimination game on Friday night at Point Stadium to advance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament. 

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 37-14 this season and advances to face Seton Hill in another elimination game tomorrow, Saturday, May 11, starting at approximately 12:30 p.m. The Vulcans have now set a new program record with 37 wins, which passes the previous mark accomplished back in 2007. Meanwhile, the Marauders fall to 38-14 overall and are eliminated for the PSAC Tournament after entering as the No. 1 seed from the PSAC East. 

Cal U entered the top of the ninth trailing by an 8-4 margin before sophomore Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) and junior left fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) drew back-to-back walks. Senior center fielder Ben Maudie (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) followed with a hit by pitch before senior second baseman Nico Marchetti (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) delivered a two-run single up the middle to cut the deficit to 8-6. Senior first baseman Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) then reached on a fielding error to reload the bases. With one out, sophomore third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) registered an RBI on a fielder's choice and left runners on the corners, 8-7. During the next at-bat, Marchetti scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 8-8 and Conte moved to third base. Freshman right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) drew a walk before freshman shortstop Jacob McCaskey  (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) laced a two-run double to left-center, as the Vulcans took a 9-8 advantage. Hitman followed a double to right-center to score McCaskey and Brogan to take an 11-9 lead. Sophomore Hunter Robinson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) entered the game in the bottom of the ninth. After a hit by pitch, he recorded a strikeout and a ground-out before the Marauders scored a run on an RBI double. Robinson finished the contest with a strikeout to secure the 11-9 win.

Both teams were retired in order in the first inning before senior catcher Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) started the top of the second with a solo homer to center field, his fifth of the season, to take a 1-0 advantage. Millersville went three-up, three-down in the bottom half before Previsky singled up the middle with one out in the third frame. Previsky stole both second and third base, but a strikeout stranded the runner in scoring position. The Marauders answered in the bottom of the third after registering a single and a hit by pitch with one out. Graduate student Kaylor Kulina then delivered a two-run double to left field to claim a 2-1 lead. In the top of the fourth, Fairman posted a leadoff single to left-center before advancing to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch. With one out, Conte notched an RBI single down the left-field line to tie the score at 2-2. Millersville countered with a solo homer down the left-field line by redshirt senior Ben Snyder, his fifth of the year, to reclaim a 3-2 advantage. Later in the inning, the Marauders loaded the bases, but a line drive heading for left-center hit the runner at second base to end the inning and leave all three runners on base. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Millersville began the inning with a hit by pitch before the runner advanced on a wild pitch. Sophomore Luke Trainer followed with an RBI triple to right-center to take a 4-2 lead. Fairman laced a double to right-center with two outs in the sixth before Webb drew a walk. Fairman then stole third base to put runners on the corners, but a strikeout ended the inning. The Marauders added to the lead with a two-run homer from redshirt senior Nick Graham, his fourth of the season, to extend the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth. After a scoreless seventh for Cal U, Millersville belted another two-run homer from junior Eric Callahan, his seventh of the year, to hold an 8-2 advantage. In the top of the eighth, Previsky led off with a single to right field before a pitch hit Maudie. With one out, Fairman drew a walk before Webb laced a two-run single to left field to close the gap to 8-4. Conte would be hit by a pitch to reload the bases before back-to-back strikeouts left three runners stranded.  

Fairman set a new single-season school record with 44 stolen bases, which passed the mark of 43 steals set by former All-American Sam DiMatteo in 2010. Webb finished 2-for-4 with a solo homer, three RBI, one run scored and one walk, while Fairman went 2-for-4 with one run scored, one walk and two stolen bases. Previsky also finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one walk and two stolen bases. Conte, Hitman and Marchetti each tallied two RBI and one run scored.

Freshman Tyler Bedillion (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) improved to 4-2 this season after tossing 1.0 scoreless inning of relief with one hit. Robinson secured his second save of the PSAC Tournament, and fourth of the season, after working 1.0 inning of relief with two strikeouts. Senior starter Tyler Eritz (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) took a no-decision after yielding four runs (all earned) on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 4.2 innings (95 pitches). Redshirt junior Bobby Dorta suffered the loss (0-1) after surrendering four runs (all unearned) on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 1.0 inning of relief. Senior Eli Nabholz, the two-time PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, posted a no-decision after allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with two walks and 12 strikeouts over 7.0 innings (113 pitches). 

Cal U returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, May 11, when it faces Seton Hill in an elimination game in the PSAC Tournament at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, starting at approximately 12:30 p.m.