WILSON, N.C. (March 11) – Sophomore center fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) registered three homers on Wednesday afternoon, as the Vulcans fell by a 14-11 margin versus No. 4 Catawba at Fleming Stadium in non-conference action.
 
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team drops to 6-6 this season and concludes its spring trip with a 2-4 mark in North Carolina. Meanwhile, Catawba improves to 19-3 overall after claiming the Southeast Region Championship and advancing to the National Championship site last season.
 
Brogan finished 3-for-4 with three homers, four RBI, four runs scored and one walk against Catawba. He joins Levi Krause and former teammate Ben Maudie as the only Cal U players to belt three homers in a game since 2003. Junior designated hitter Bill Hitman (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two runs scored and one walk, while senior first baseman Corey Fogle (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville) finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored and two walks.
 
Brogan opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a solo homer, his first of the season, off the scoreboard in left field with two outs. Cal U followed with a pair of singles to right field before the Indians escaped the frame on a ground-out to the pitcher. In the top of the second, junior Zack Miller tied the game on a solo homer to center field before the Indians left a pair of runners on-base, including a runner in scoring position, in the third inning. In the bottom of the third, Brogan laced a solo homer to left-center, his second of the game, to put the Vulcans ahead 2-1.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth before Catawba tied the contest at 2-2 when senior Jackson Raper belted a solo homer to right field, his eighth of the season, in the top of the fifth frame. In the bottom half, freshman second baseman Connor Bannias (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) reached on a walk before Brogan delivered a two-run homer to right-center, his third of the game, to give Cal U a 4-2 advantage.
 
The Indians cut into the deficit in the sixth with a bases-loaded walk with one out before Cal U escaped the inning with a double-play. Catawba would tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh on a leadoff solo homer from Raper, his second of the game. In the bottom half, the Vulcans scored four runs on two hits to take an 8-4 advantage. Bannias started the frame with a single to left field before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Brogan was intentionally walked before another walk loaded the bases. Fogle then drew a walk to score a run before sophomore shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum,Pa./Deer Lakes) recorded a three-run triple to left-center.
 
In the top of the eighth, the Indians responded by scoring eight runs on six hits, highlighted by a pair of two-run singles, to reclaim the lead at 12-8. The Vulcans countered in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff single from freshman right fielder Cade Patterson (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford). Junior third baseman Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) then delivered a double down the left-field line before a pair of errors on play allowed both runners to score, 12-10. The Indians would stretch the lead to 14-10 on a two-run single to right-center from Miller in the top of the ninth. Hitman answered with a leadoff solo homer to left-center, his first of the year, to close the deficit to 14-11. After a walk, Catawba closed out the game with a ground-out and a pair of strikeouts to secure a 14-11 win.
 
Sophomore Patrick Gumto (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) was saddled with loss after yielding seven runs (six earned) on five hits with one walk and one strikeout in 0.1 inning. Senior starter Nick Riggle (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) took a no-decision after surrendering one run on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 4.0 innings (68 pitches). Senior Caleb Link improved to 2-0 after tossing 0.1 inning of relief with one strikeout. Catawba freshman starter Kenny Dollenger allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts over 4.0 innings (70 pitches).
 
Cal U returns to action on Tuesday, March 17, when it travels to face Fairmont State in a non-conference game in Bridgeport, West Virginia, at 4 p.m.