WASHINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 26) – The California (PA) baseball team closed its three-game weekend series against Carson-Newman (Tenn.) with a 4-3 win at Wild Things Park on Sunday afternoon in non-conference play.
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 5-1 overall after winning the last two games in the series. Cal has started consecutive seasons with 5-1 marks. Meanwhile, the Eagles fall to 6-9 this season.
Sophomore starting pitcher
Jaret Muckley (Green, Ohio/Green) earned the win to improve to 2-0 this season. He allowed two runs (both earned) on five hits with zero walks in 6.0-plus innings (56 pitches). Senior
David Lee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) recorded his first career save while working the ninth inning. Freshman
Jake Kramer (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in the victory.
Senior catcher
Justin Stewart (Butler, Pa./Butler) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, one run scored and a walk. Sophomore left fielder
Ryan Callahan (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) collected two hits, one RBI and one run scored, while sophomore third baseman
Payton Conte (California, Pa./California) tallied a pair of hits and one run scored.
The Eagles claimed the early 1-0 advantage with an RBI single up the middle in the top of the first. The Vulcans answered in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly by Callahan that scored sophomore center fielder
Adam Crawford (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny). Cal broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth, as Stewart recorded an RBI single through the right side before sophomore shortstop
Nathan Meeks (New Castle, Pa./Union) registered a sacrifice fly to score Callahan, 3-1.
CN countered with a solo home run by first baseman James Denten in the top of the seventh to trim the deficit, 3-2. During the bottom of the inning, redshirt freshman first baseman
Conor Carney (Harmony, Pa./Seneca Valley) extended the lead to 4-2 on a sacrifice fly to score Stewart. In the ninth, the Eagles scored on a two-out RBI single before stranding the game-tying run in scoring position.
Eagle starter Ethan Patch (0-2) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs (all earned) on eight hits and four walks in 4.2 innings (88 pitches).
Cal is idle for a week before beginning play at RussMatt Baseball in Florida on March 5 against Ashland (Ohio) at 5 p.m.