WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 10) – The Vulcans claimed a doubleheader split against Mercyhurst on Saturday afternoon at Wild Things Park in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action, winning 9-6 in Game 1 before dropping a 4-2 contest in Game 2.

With the split, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team stands at 16-8 this season behind a 7-5 record in conference action. The Vulcans captured their first four-game series split against the Lakers this weekend since the 2014 campaign. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst moves to 15-9 overall with a 6-6 mark in league play.

In Game 1, junior Zach Rohaley (Washington, Pa./Canon-McMillan) earned the victory to improve to 2-2 this spring. He surrendered five runs (all earned) on six hits and one walk over 5.0 innings (73 pitches). Classmate Patrick Gumto (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) registered four strikeouts and yielded one run (earned) in 2.0 innings of relief.

The Lakers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first behind a pair of RBI hits with two outs. After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom half, Cal U answered with five runs on three hits and three walks in the second inning. Senior center fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) started the rally with a walk and would score on a wild pitch after advancing around the bases on a stolen base and balk. Junior catcher Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler) later laced a triple to right center before junior third baseman Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) delivered a two-run double with two outs. Following a pitching change later in the inning, sophomore designated hitter David Lee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) collected a two-run triple to center field.

In the third, Cal U stretched the lead to 7-2 on a sacrifice fly and a pinch-hit RBI single by Josh Rankin (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon). The Lakers responded with three runs in the top of the fifth to trim the deficit to 9-5 before the Vulcans countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half. Rankin delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded before McCaskey was intentionally walked to again load the bases. Mercyhurst then made a pitching change and induced an infield fly before recording a strikeout to end the inning. Left fielder Matthew Gibson belted a solo homer for the Lakers in the sixth to cut the deficit to 9-6.

Rankin finished 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Lee went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one walk. Previsky, Serafino and Stewart all scored twice in the victory.

Mercyhurst used six different pitchers in the contest with none working more than 1.2 innings.

In Game 2, freshman Jackson Miller (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) was saddled with the loss while making his second career start. He allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits and four walks in 5.2 innings (83 pitches).

The Vulcans took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on two-run homer by junior right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), his fifth of the season. In the second, catcher Philip Ferranti belted a leadoff homer for Mercyhurst to trim the deficit to 2-1. Miller forced the Lakers to leave runners in scoring position in both the third and fifth innings before first baseman Josh Surowiec belted a two-run homer with two outs in the sixth, 3-2. Mercyhurst added an insurance run on a throwing error in the seventh.

Previsky collected a pair of singles in the contest and McCaskey was walked three times in four plate appearances.

Cal U returns to action on Friday, April 16, when it opens a series against Pitt-Johnstown with a doubleheader at Wild Things Park, starting at 1 p.m.