WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 6) – The California (PA) baseball team secured a berth to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep versus Clarion on Senior Day at Wild Things Park, posting a 4-3 walk-off victory in extra innings in Game 1 and a 5-4 walk-off win in Game 2.

With the sweep, the Vulcans finish the regular season with a 27-19 overall record behind a 15-13 mark in league play. Cal earned the third seed in the PSAC Tournament and will face East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, May 10, in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles finish the year with a 12-37 record with a 4-24 mark in conference action.

In Game 1, Cal scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings for the second-straight game in the series with Clarion. The Golden Eagles then scored one run in the eighth before the Vulcans rallied for two runs in the bottom half, including a walk-off RBI single by sophomore second baseman Santino Marra (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands).

Sophomore center fielder Adam Crawford (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) finished 3-for-4 with one run scored and junior shortstop Brett Bobin (Wampum, Pa./Mohawk) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Sophomore third baseman Payton Conte (California, Pa./California) posted one hit, one run scored and one walk in the win.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth when the Golden Eagles started the inning with back-to-back base runners. Clarion scored its initial run on a sacrifice fly before taking a 2-0 lead on a two-out RBI double in the fifth. The Vulcans threatened in the bottom half with a pair of runners in scoring position before a strikeout and fly-out closed the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Conte reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a double by senior right fielder Colby Rockacy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks). Following a line-out, Bobin registered a game-tying, two-run single to right center with two outs before being stranded at third following a pitching change.

The Golden Eagles reclaimed the lead in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk before a pair of fly-outs kept the score at 3-2. Crawford started the bottom of the inning with a double before Cal loaded the bases on a single and hit by pitch. The Vulcans tied the score at 3-3 on a wild pitch before Conte was issued a walk. Clarion then made a pitching change and was playing with five infielders on a shallow fly-out to center field. Marra then lined the game-winning, walk-off hit to right center to score pinch runner Jake Walker (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) from third.

Senior David Lee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) earned the win after working 1.0 inning of relief. Freshman starting pitcher Nathan Holmes (North Versailles, Pa./East Allegheny) took a no-decision after yielding two runs (both earned) on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5.0 innings (83 pitches). Clarion starter Reilly Shaffer also posted a no-decision after surrendering two runs (both earned) on eight hits in 6.2 innings (101 pitches).

In Game 2, Clarion held a 4-3 lead before Cal tied the score on a solo homer by Rockacy and later tallied the game-winning run on a walk-off walk by Crawford. Rockacy finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Marra went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored. Bobin added a pair of hits and Lee drew a pair of walks while serving as the designated hitter.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when the Vulcans took a 3-0 lead. Sophomore third baseman Nathan Meeks (New Castle, Pa./Union) and Conte started the rally with back-to-back singles before executing a double steal. Rockacy then delivered an RBI single through the left side and advanced to second when Conte was tagged out retreating to third base. Marra then belted a two-run homer to left field, his third longball of the season – all in the last two-plus weeks.

Clarion answered in the sixth with four runs to take a 4-3 lead behind a two-run homer by shortstop Scott McManamon – his school-record 11th longball of the year – and a two-run double with two outs. The Vulcans looked to mount a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth with a walk and hit by pitch before a strikeout ended the inning.

Cal tied the score in the seventh with a solo homer by Rockacy, his team-leading sixth homer of the season. Marra followed with a double to right center and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Golden Eagles then issued back-to-back intentional walks to load the bases with one out. Crawford followed by drawing a four-pitch walk to score Marra for the winning run.

Freshman Jake Kramer (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) earned the win after posting 1.0 inning of scoreless relief with a pair of strikeouts. Freshman starting pitcher Dylan Mathiesen (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) retired all nine batters he faced with four strikeouts and sophomore Aidan Ruiz (Perry Hall, Md./The John Carroll School) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief on Saturday.

Cal will face East Stroudsburg in a single-elimination contest on the opening day of the PSAC Tournament at 9:30 a.m. The Vulcans last faced the Warriors in the 2019 PSAC Tournament.