WASHINGTON, Pa. (March 22) – The California (PA) baseball team started Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action with a doubleheader sweep over Clarion on Friday afternoon at Wild Things Park, winning 5-3 in Game 1 before cruising to a 9-1 victory in Game 2.
RECORDS/SERIES
• The Vulcans improve to 12-4 this season after having won eight of their last nine games dating back to March 5.
• The Golden Eagles fall to 3-15 overall under first-year head coach Caleb Lang, who was hired in October.
• Cal has won 10-conseuctive meetings in the series dating back to 2021 when it lost three of four games in the league-mandated series.
GAME 1
STATS
• Junior designated hitter
Payton Conte went 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored.
• Junior left fielder
Ryan Callahan scored twice and stole one base in the victory.
• Freshman
Josh Bryson (1-0) earned the win after working 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.
• Junior
Jake Kramer notched his third save of the year after tossing a scoreless seventh inning.
• He is already tied for sixth in school history with nine career saves over his 23 appearances.
ACTION
• Cal jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind three singles, two sacrifice flies and one hit by pitch.
• Conte collected an RBI single between the sacrifice flies in the inning.
• The Golden Eagles responded in the second by scoring three runs with two outs, including a two-run double by consensus all-region shortstop Scotty McManamon.
• Clarion stranded the bases loaded in the fourth before leaving two runners on in the fifth after back-to-back, two-out baserunners.
• The Vulcans broke the tie in the fifth on a two-out RBI double by Conte before he scored an insurance run on an RBI single by freshman third baseman
Caleb Collins.
• Clarion starting pitcher Reilly Shafter (2-4) was dealt the loss after yielding five runs (all earned) in 4.2 innings (82 pitches).
GAME 2
STATS
• Sophomore
Michael Valente (4-0) tossed his first career complete game, scattering five hits and one run (unearned) with six strikeouts over 7.0 innings (79 pitches).
• Collins tallied a pair of hits, one RBI, two runs scored and one walk while playing both third base and shortstop.
• Senior catcher
Jayden Taitano went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
• Senior right fielder
Colby Rockacy drew a pair of walks and scored twice, while freshman center fielder
Ikon Jones reached base three times (single, two walks).
ACTION
• Clarion scored an unearned run in the top of the first before California answered with six runs in the second inning, 6-1.
• Taitano, Collins and sophomore first baseman
Conor Carney collected three-straight, RBI singles before the Vulcans scored the final three runs of the inning without tallying a hit.
• Cal added a pair of runs in the third on just one hit, a leadoff triple by Collins, and scored one run in the sixth after Callahan started the inning with a double.
• The Golden Eagles used seven pitchers in the loss with only one recording more than three outs.
NEXT
• The Vulcans continue the series with the Golden Eagles on Monday, March 25, with a doubleheader at Clarion, beginning at 1 p.m.
