WASHINGTON, Pa. (April 6) – Senior second baseman
Santino Marra reached the 200-hit milestone on Sunday afternoon, as the Vulcans completed a season sweep of Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at EQT Park with a 6-1 victory in Game 1 and a 9-3 win in Game 2.
NOTES
• The California (PA) baseball team (22-5, 9-2) now holds a 12-2 mark in home games this spring.
• The Vulcans have won 16-straight meetings against the Golden Eagles, dating back to the 2022 campaign.
• Marra is the eighth player in program history to reach 200 career hits, and the first since former first baseman David Marcus (2013-17).
• Four of the previous seven players to accomplish the feat are members of the Athletic Hall of Fame, including all-time hits leader
Matt Peters (2012-15) who was inducted yesterday.
GAME 1
• Junior
Nathan Holmes (3-0) registered the complete-game victory, the third complete game of his career.
• He yielded one run (earned) on five hits and zero walks with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings (89 pitches).
• Clarion took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single before Cal answered in the bottom of inning with a three-run homer by Marra, his fourth of the year.
• The Vulcans added to the lead in the fourth on a three-run homer by sophomore center fielder
Ikon Jones – the first of his career.
• Marra collected a pair of hits and three RBI while tying his career high of four homers this season.
GAME 2
• Marra reached the 200-hit milestone in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double.
• He was one of four players to collect a multi-hit game in the nightcap, finishing with two two hits and three RBI.
• Senior right fielder
James Salvatori tallied three hits, including a solo homer, and three runs scored.
• Senior first baseman
Payton Conte registered two hits with a solo homer, two RBI and three runs scored, while Jones posted two hits, one RBI and two runs scored.
• The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first before the Vulcans answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
• Conte delivered an RBI doubles before Cal later scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies.
• Jones collected a two-out RBI double in the second before Salvatori and Conte both recorded solo homers in the fourth.
• Clarion scored one run in both the fifth and sixth innings to cut the deficit to a 6-3 margin.
• The Vulcans countered with three runs on three hits and one error in the bottom of the sixth.
• Salvatori scored from second on an error before Marra later posted a two-run double with two outs.
• Redshirt junior starting pitcher
Roman Gill (2-2) earned the win after allowing two runs (both earned) on three hits and two walks in 4.1 innings (66 pitches).
• Fellow junior
Jake Kramer worked 2.2 innings of relief, surrendering one run (earned) on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
NEXT
• The Vulcans return to action on Friday, April 11, when they host a doubleheader against Seton Hill in PSAC West action at 1 p.m.