JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (April 17) – The Vulcans posted a doubleheader split against Pitt-Johnstown at Point Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action, suffering a 9-6 loss in Game 1 before claiming a 9-3 victory in Game 2.

With the split, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team moves to 19-9 overall and is tied for second in the divisional standings with a 10-6 mark. The Vulcans are in a three-way tie with a .625 winning percentage in league play, while holding an identical divisional record as Mercyhurst. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats stand at 13-11 this season behind a 9-7 mark in PSAC West play.

In Game 1, UPJ held an 8-0 lead before Cal U scored six runs in the top of the fifth. Junior Zach Rohaley (Washington, Pa./Canon-McMillan) suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 this year. He surrendered eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits, including six extra-base hits, and two walks in 5.0 innings (92 pitches).

The Mountain Cats took a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the third behind six-consecutive hits. UPJ added a pair of runs in the fourth following a two-out throwing error. The Vulcans responded with six runs on five hits and one walk in the fifth to trim the deficit to 8-6. Senior center fielder Aaron Previsky (California, Pa./California) and junior catcher Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler) collected back-to-back RBI singles before a walk loaded the bases. Following a strikeout, junior shortstop Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) followed with his third grand slam, and team-leading sixth homer, of the season.

In the sixth, Cal U mounted a two-out rally with runners on second and third before a strikeout ended the inning. The Mountain Cats added an insurance run in the seventh on a ground-out following a triple.

McCaskey finished 2-for-4 with a grand slam to extend his PSAC-leading RBI total to 40. Stewart collected two singles, one RBI and one run scored in the contest.

In Game 2, the Vulcans raced out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first on just one hit and captured the series victory for the fourth-consecutive time. Junior Patrick Gumto (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) earned his first victory of the season after tossing a career-high 4.0 scoreless innings of relief (48 pitches). He scattered three hits and issued zero walks while recording four strikeouts on Saturday. Freshman Jackson Miller (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) took a no-decision after yielding three runs (all earned) on one hit and three walks in 3.0 innings (56 pitches).

In the first, Cal U scored six runs after benefiting from six walks, one hit by pitch and three wild pitches. The initial six batters of the game reached base safely before junior right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) reached on an infield single, the lone hit of the inning.

The Mountain Cats scored on a ground-out in the bottom of the first before the Vulcans added to the lead in the third on a two-out RBI single by Previsky. UPJ trimmed the deficit to 7-3 later in the third on a two-run homer by center fielder Tyler Smith. The Vulcans stranded a runner on third in the fifth and sixth before scoring a pair of runs in the seventh following a two-out error.

Junior left fielder Nick Serafino (McDonald, Pa./Canon-McMillan) reached base in all four plate appearances (two walks, single, hit by pitch), scored three runs and registered one RBI. Brogan went 2-for-4 with one RBI and junior shortstop Anthony Venezia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) collected two hits, one run scored and one walk.

Cal U is slated to return to action on Friday, April 23, with a PSAC West doubleheader at Clarion, beginning at 1 p.m.