INDIANA, Pa. (April 17) – The Vulcans posted a doubleheader sweep at defending-NCAA regional champion IUP on Thursday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, earning a 3-1 victory in Game 1 and a 7-6 win in Game 2.
NOTES
• The California (PA) baseball team (27-7, 13-4) has won 10 of its last 12 games.
• The Vulcans currently boast the most league wins in the PSAC West standings.
• Cal, which snapped a five-game losing streak in the series with IUP, swept a road doubleheader in the series for the fifth time since the 2008 campaign.
• Junior
Jake Kramer moved into a tie with Jed Custer of Bloomsburg (1993-96) for second in PSAC history with 23 career saves, which is just one shy of the all-time record.
• Senior
Santino Marra tallied four hits on Thursday to claim sole possession of fifth place all-time in school history with 208 hits, breaking a tie with Bryan Hartung (2000-03).
GAME 1
• Junior
Michael Valente (8-0) earned his third-consecutive, complete-game victory.
• He is tied for fifth in single-season school history with eight wins, which is the most since Dylan Brosky equaled the total in both 2021 and 2022.
• Valente allowed one run (earned) on six hits and one walk over 7.0 innings (79 pitches).
• Cal took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a two-out RBI single by Marra.
• The Vulcans added to the lead in the fifth with back-to-back, extra-base RBI hits by Marra and senior third baseman
Nathan Meeks with two outs, 3-0.
• IUP countered with one run in the bottom of the sixth and drew a walk to start the seventh before Valente induced a double play.
• Marra tallied three hits, two RBI and one run scored, while senior left fielder
Ryan Callahan finished with two hits and one run scored.
GAME 2
• Cal scored three runs with two outs in the sixth inning before IUP belted a solo homer in the seventh.
• Freshman
Colin Watson (5-0) posted the victory after working 1.1 inning of scoreless relief.
• Kramer registered his seventh save of the spring following 2.0 innings of relief.
• He is tied with Andrew Rafalski (2006) for the third-most saves in single-season school history.
• The Vulcans took a 3-1 lead in the third after Callahan posted an RBI double before Meeks later collected an RBI single.
• IUP reclaimed the lead with three runs in the third before Cal tied the score in the top of the fourth.
• The Crimson Hawks responded with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the inning, 5-4.
• Cal scored three runs on three hits and three walks in the sixth after six-straight batters reached base with two outs.
• Senior right fielder
James Salvatori tallied an RBI single and Callahan recorded a two-run double.
• Kramer retired IUP in order in the bottom of the sixth before designated hitter Mike Huber – a NCBWA All-American last year while at West Virginia State – belted a solo homer in the seventh.
• Sophomore second baseman
Caleb Collins finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Callahan registered two hits, three RBI and one run scored.
NEXT
• The Vulcans return to the diamond tomorrow, April 18, when they host the Crimson Hawks for a doubleheader at EQT Park, starting at 1 p.m.
