DAVENPORT, Fla. (March 9) – After starting pitcher freshman Dylan Mathiesen (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) and relief pitcher freshman Jake Kramer (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) combined for 11 strikeouts, the California (PA) baseball team earned a 5-2 win over Minnesota Duluth from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) on Thursday morning down in Florida.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 7-4 heading into the final day of the RussMatt Baseball Invitational. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs fall to 5-4 overall.
Junior designated hitter Jayden Taitano (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) went 2-for-4 with a run scored while senior right fielder Colby Rockacy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) tallied a pair of hits with an RBI and scored twice. Sophomore left fielder Ryan Callahan (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) registered an RBI and junior third baseman Brett Bobin (Wampum, Pa./Mohawk) drove in a run as well.

Minnesota Duluth gained an early 1-0 advantage in the top of the first following a wild pitch. The next three innings would be a pitcher's dual as neither team could score a run as Matheisen held the Bulldogs hitless during the three-inning span. In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Adam Crawford (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) scored Rockacy from third on a fielder's choice in a pinch-hit opportunity to tie the game 1-1. Sophomore shortstop Nathan Meeks (New Castle, Pa./Union) gave Cal a 2-1 lead as he batted-in sophomore first baseman Payton Conte (California, Pa./California) followed by Callahan recording an RBI-single to center field, bringing in Meeks, 3-1.

Minnesota Duluth trimmed its deficit to 3-2 after an RBI-single to center field in the top of the sixth while the Vulcans answered back in the next half inning as Rockacy launched a ball down left field line leading to a ground-rule double and scoring Taitano, 4-2. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rockacy scored as Bobin grounded out to the second baseman, 5-2. Cal only allowed one hit to the Bulldogs in the final three innings of the game.

Mathiesen earned the win as he yielded two runs (both earned) on three hits while posting six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Kramer tallied his first career save as he surrendered only one hit and collected five strikeouts in 3.0 innings of relief.

Minnesota Duluth starting pitcher Chad Fox was dealt the loss as he allowed three runs (all earned) on four hits and recorded five strikeouts.

The Vulcans return to action tomorrow, Friday, March 10, as they conclude their spring trip to Florida versus Winona State (Minn.) from the NSIC with the first pitch scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in Auburndale, Florida.