WASHINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 25) – The Vulcans surrendered five home runs – four in the sixth inning or later – on Sunday afternoon while dropping both games of a non-conference doubleheader against Hillsdale (Mich.) at Wild Things Park, suffering a 7-1 loss in Game 1 and dropping a 4-1 contest in Game 2.
RECORDS/SERIES
• The California (PA) baseball team moves to 2-2 overall with all four games at Wild Things Park.
• The Chargers improve to 3-2 this spring after tying for sixth in the preseason Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) poll.
• The Vulcans and Chargers were meeting for the first in time recent program history.
• Hillsdale will return to Pennsylvania next month for a three-game series at IUP.
GAME 1
STATS
• The Vulcans were limited to five hits, all singles, and finished with nine runners left on base.
• Senior shortstop
Brett Bobin collected a pair of singles and one RBI in the contest.
• Junior second baseman
Santino Marra reached base safely twice (single, walk) and scored one run against the Chargers.
• Junior starting pitcher
Jackson Miller (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in 5.0 innings.
• Freshman
Josh Bryson worked 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in his college debut on Sunday.
ACTION
• Hillsdale took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after the leadoff batter reached on a fielding error before leaving the bases loaded.
• The Vulcans tied the score in the third when Marra scored from second on an RBI single by Bobin.
• Cal stranded the bases loaded in the fourth before Hillsdale reclaimed the lead by a 3-1 margin in the fifth on a two-run homer by first baseman Jeff Landis, who belted 12 homers last year.
• The Chargers added to the lead in the of the sixth with four runs, including a two-run longball by left fielder Joe Hardenbergh – a 2023 All-G-MAC First-Team selection with a team-high 14 homers.
• Hillsdale used a pair of pitchers in the contest that combined to issue only three walks.
GAME 2
STATS
• Junior first baseman
Payton Conte collected a pair of singles while hitting cleanup.
• Bobin reached base safely four times (two walks, single, hit by pitch) and scored one run in the nightcap.
• Junior starter
Roman Gill took a no-decision after working 4.0 scoreless innings.
• Sophomore
Luke Treloar (0-1) was saddled with the loss after yielding four runs (all earned) over a career-high 4.2 innings, which equaled his 2023 season total.
ACTION
• The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded RBI ground-out.
• Gill induced a pair of inning-ending double plays in his initial start of the year.
• Hillsdale tied the score in the seventh inning on a solo homer by catcher Will Millard.
• California left a runner on third base in both the seventh and eighth innings in Game 2.
• The Chargers broke the tie with three runs in the top of the ninth, including a two-run longball by right fielder Jaekob Sallee.
• California left 11 runners on base in the contest, including nine in scoring position.
NEXT
• Cal closes out the series against Hillsdale tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 26, with a single contest at Wild Things Park with first pitch at 1 p.m.
