JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (April 22) – Head coach Mike Conte reached the 700-win mark, as the Vulcans swept a doubleheader at Pitt-Johnstown on Friday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, claiming a 1-0 win in extra innings in Game 1 before posting a 9-4 victory in Game 2.

With the sweep, the California University of Pennsylvania baseball team improves to 24-13 overall behind a 9-9 record in divisional action. The Vulcans have won eight of the last 10 meetings against the Mountain Cats at Point Stadium. Meanwhile, Pitt-Johnstown falls to 15-21-1 this season with a 3-15 mark in league play.

Conte is one of three active head coaches in the PSAC to reach 700 career wins. He ranks third all-time in league history with 700 victories while becoming the first Cal U head coach of a men's sport to reach the milestone. Conte has posted a 700-490-4 record (.588) in his 26 years as a head coach and has been selected the PSAC West Coach of the Year eight times.

In Game 1, senior Jacob McCaskey (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) tossed the first complete-game shutout of his career to improve to 5-0 this spring. He scattered six hits and two walks over 8.0 scoreless innings (100 pitches) while totaling nine strikeouts. McCaskey forced the Mountain Cats to leave a runner in scoring position in each of the final three innings.

The Vulcans scored the only run of the contest in the top of the eighth on a two-out error. Freshman center fielder Adam Crawford (North Fayette, Pa./West Allegheny) went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot, while senior catcher Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler) drew a pair of walks.

Cal U stranded a runner at second base in three of the opening four innings on Friday. McCaskey induced an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the third before retiring the Mountain Cats in order in the fourth.

In the sixth, redshirt freshman second baseman Santino Marra (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) reached on a throwing error before freshman first baseman Payton Conte (California, Pa./California) followed with a single. The Vulcans then loaded the bases on a hit by pitch before a strikeout and foul-out ended the inning.

UPJ threatened with a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh before the runner advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. McCaskey then registered a strikeout before issuing an intentional walk. The Mountain Cats left runners on the corners following the ninth strikeout of the game for McCaskey.

Senior right fielder Patrick Brogan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) reached on a two-out double in the eighth before scoring on a two-base throwing error. UPJ also collected a two-out double in the bottom of the inning before the game ended with a line-out.

In Game 2, senior shortstop Anthony Venezia (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Crawford went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. McCaskey delivered a two-run triple and scored two runs.

Cal U took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on back-to-back, two-out singles by Brogan and junior left fielder David Lee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson). The Vulcans added to the lead in the second on a ground-out and RBI single by Crawford. UPJ countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at 4-4 on three hits, one walk, one error and two wild pitches.

The Vulcans reclaimed the lead in the third with a solo homer by sophomore designated hitter Jayden Taitano (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley), his fourth of the year. Cal U stretched the lead to 7-4 with a two-run triple by McCaskey with two outs in the fourth inning.

After UPJ stranded a pair of runners in the sixth, Cal U added two unearned runs in the seventh. The Vulcans loaded the bases before McCaskey scored on a sacrifice fly and added another run on a double-steal attempt.

Redshirt freshman Aidan Ruiz (Perry Hall, Md./The John Carroll School) earned his first college win. He yielded four runs (three earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings (63 pitches). Sophomore Brett Bobin (Wampum, Pa./Mohawk) tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and senior Patrick Gumto (Allison Park, Pa./Shaler) worked 1.0 inning of scoreless relief.

Cal U continues the series with Pitt-Johnstown tomorrow, Saturday, April 23, with a doubleheader at Wild Things Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.