JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (May 9) – Behind four RBI from senior catcher
Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair), the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team secured a 6-3 victory over East Stroudsburg to advance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament on Thursday morning at Point Stadium.
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 36-14 overall and advance in the face the loser of the Millersville-Bloomsburg contest in another elimination game tomorrow, Friday, May 10, starting at approximately 6:30 p.m. Cal U has now matched the program record with 36 wins this season after the feat was first accomplished back in 2007. Meanwhile, the Warriors fall to 31-19 this season and are eliminated from the conference tournament after entering as the fourth seed from the PSAC East.
Junior starter
Bradyn Kail (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) improved to 9-1 this season after yielding three runs (all earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 7.0 innings (109 pitches). He became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record at least nine wins in a season and the first since 2011. Sophomore
Hunter Robinson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central) claimed his third save of the year after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief with no hits and three strikeouts. ESU junior Connor Johnson suffered the loss (4-3) after surrendering four runs (two earned) on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings (55 pitches).
In the top of the first, the Warriors threatened with a runner on second base and one out, but Kail escaped the jam with a strikeout and a ground-out. Senior first baseman
Eric Fairman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) reached on an error in the bottom half with two outs before Webb laced an RBI triple to right-center to take a 1-0 advantage. Sophomore third baseman
Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) followed with a single to center field to stretch the lead to 2-0. After a scoreless second inning, ESU again threatened in the third with a walk and a hit by pitch to start the third frame. Kail turned around the inning with a pick-off at second base before recording a fly-out and strikeout to close out the top half. Senior second baseman
Nico Marchetti (Jackson, Mo./Jackson) doubled to left-center in the bottom of the third and advanced on a wild pitch with one out. Webb then registered an RBI on a ground-out, as the Vulcans took a 3-0 lead. Kail retired the side in the fourth before freshman shortstop
Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) posted a single to right field with one out in the bottom half. He advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch and moved to third on a ground-out. Junior right fielder
Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) followed with an RBI single to center field to take a 4-0 advantage.
The Warriors placed a pair of runners in scoring position after a single and a double with one out. ESU junior Joey Paolini then delivered a three-run homer over the left-field wall, his seventh of the season, to cut the deficit to 4-3. In the bottom of the fifth, Fairman was hit by a pitch with one out before registering consecutive stolen bases to move into scoring position. The Warriors would strand the runner after a strikeout and fly-out ended the inning. Kail once again retired the side in the seventh inning before Previsky started the bottom half with a walk. A pair of stolen bases by Previsky moved him to third before ESU tallied two strikeouts. Fairman was intentionally walked before tallying his third stolen base of the game. Webb then registered a two-run single through the right side to extend the lead to 6-3. In the top of eighth, the Warriors drew a walk and singled through the right side to begin the inning. After a pitching change to Robinson, Cal U turned a double play before a ground-out left a runner on third base. Robinson would strikeout the side in top of ninth to secure the 6-3 win.
Webb finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run scored, while Fairman tallied two runs scored, one walk and three stolen bases. Fairman became just second Cal U player in history to eclipse 40 steals in a season, joining former All-American Sam DiMatteo in both 2009 and 2010. Previsky also tallied one hit, one RBI, one run scored, two walks and two stolen bases.
Cal U returns to action tomorrow, Friday, May 10, when it faces Millersville or Bloomsburg in an elimination game in the PSAC Tournament at Point Stadium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, with first pitch set for approximately 6:30 p.m.
