WASHINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 19) – The Vulcans scored three runs with two outs after trailing by two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Monday afternoon to claim a 7-6 victory over Wheeling in non-conference play at Wild Things Park in the season-opener for both teams.
RECORDS/STATS
• The California (PA) baseball team starts the year with a win for the sixth-straight season.
• The Cardinals drop their season-opener after being picked second in the preseason MEC North poll.
• Cal has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series with Wheeling dating back to 2021 with all eight games being played at Wild Things Park.
STATS
• Junior first baseman
Payton Conte went 2-for-4 with a two-run triple and two runs scored.
• Senior catcher
Jayden Taitano added two hits, one run scored and one walk on Monday.
• Senior
Justin Naylor earned his third career victory with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
• Sophomore
Jake Kramer registered the save with 1.0 inning of scoreless relief against the Cardinals.
• Junior
Jackson Miller took a no-decision in his first career Opening Day start and established a career high with six strikeouts in 4.1 innings (76 pitches).
GAME ACTION
• The Vulcans took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a bases-loaded ground-out and an RBI double by senior right fielder
Colby Rockacy.
• Wheeling cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the third on a solo homer by third baseman Braden Killens, who ranked fourth in the MEC with 12 homers last year.
• The Cardinals claimed a 5-2 lead in the fifth after five-straight batters reached base safely with one out, capped by a two-run double from Killens.
• Wheeling added to the lead in the top of the sixth before Cal scored twice in the bottom half to trim the deficit to a 6-4 margin.
• The Vulcans started their rally with two outs in the eighth when back-to-back batters reached on a hit by pitch.
• Conte then laced a game-tying, two-run triple to right center following a pitching change by the Cardinals.
• Cal broke the tie when Taitano reached on a fielding error that allowed Conte to score the go-ahead run.
• The Cardinals collected a one-out single in the ninth before Kramer forced the tying run to be stranded in scoring position.
• Wheeling used six different pitchers in the season-opening contest with none working more than 2.0 innings.
NEXT
• Cal continues its season-opening series against Wheeling tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 20, with a single contest at Wild Things Park, starting at 1 p.m.
