WILSON, N.C. (March 9) – Senior
Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) set a career high with 12 strikeouts on Wednesday night, as the California University of Pennsylvania baseball opened its spring trip to North Carolina with a 9-4 win over Barton (N.C.) at Fleming Stadium.
With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 7-3 overall while posting its first win over a southern team since 2016. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fall to 12-7 this season after posting a 4-2 record last month against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) members East Stroudsburg and Millersville.
McCaskey (1-0) earned his first win of the spring while making his third start on the mound. He allowed three runs (all earned) on six hits and two walks over 6.0 innings (100 pitches) while tallying 12 strikeouts. McCaskey recorded all three outs in an inning via strikeout in three times on Wednesday. The last Cal U pitcher to record 12 strikeouts in a game was
Dylan Brosky in the 2020 season, also at Fleming Stadium.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out double to left center before the Vulcans answered in the second. Freshman left fielder
Adam Crawford (North Fayette, Pa./West Allegheny) drew a leadoff walk and senior third baseman
Louden Conte (California, Pa./California) followed with a single. Cal U then loaded the bases on a bunt single before Crawford scored on a fielder's choice and a throwing error on the play allowed Conte to score from second.
The Vulcans added to the lead in the third inning with a bases-loaded triple by Conte that cleared the bases, 5-1. In the fifth, Cal U stretched the lead to 6-1 when Crawford scored on a passed ball.
In the sixth, Barton trimmed the deficit to 6-3 on a two-run homer by designated hitter Edward Landron with two outs. Cal U answered in the bottom half with a two-out RBI double by McCaskey that scored senior center fielder
Mike Landry (Jamison, Pa./La Salle), who started the inning with a single.
The Bulldogs threatened in the seventh with back-to-back base runners with one out before sophomore
Justin Naylor (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) registered a strikeout and ground-out to end the inning. Cal U stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning before Barton collected a two-out RBI double in the eighth, 7-4.
The Vulcans added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back, two-out RBI singles by Conte and senior catcher
Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler). In the ninth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs before a ground-out to first base ended the game.
Conte reached base in all five plate appearances, finishing 3-for-3 with four RBI, one run scored and two walks. Crawford also reached five times in the victory, going 2-for-2 with four runs scored and three walks. McCaskey and Stewart both posted a pair of hits and one RBI in the victory.
Barton starter Blake Forney (1-1) suffered the loss after yielding two runs (one earned) on two hits and one walk in 2.0 innings. The Bulldogs used seven pitchers that combined to issue 12 walks in the contest.
The Vulcans return to action in North Carolina tomorrow, Thursday, March 10, against Saint Rose (N.Y.) at 6 p.m.
