DAVENPORT, Fla. (March 14) – In its final game in Florida, the California (PA) baseball team was tied at 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh before suffering a 3-2 loss to Wayne State (MI) on Saturday morning.
NOTES
• The Vulcans (9-5) finished their trip to The Sunshine State with a 5-2 record while facing teams from four different states.
• Senior
Connor Evans led the team with a .407 average (11-for-27) during the trip, while redshirt freshman
Chad Helwich recorded 11 RBI and a .714 slugging percentage from the leadoff spot.
• Cal posted a 4.21 ERA and allowed just one home run over a combined 57.2 innings pitched.
• Against the Warriors (16-2), three different players collected two hits as the Vulcans finished seven total hits.
• Sophomore
Cole Fleck tallied two hits and one run scored in his first career start at first base.
• Sophomore shortstop
Brandon McClain-Banks posted two hits and one RBI, while sophomore catcher
Corey Kuszaj finished with a pair of hits.
• Cal left a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the third before Wayne State scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
• Fleck and Evans opened the fourth with a single and double before Fleck scored on a sacrifice fly, 1-1.
• The Warriors nearly broke the tie in the fifth before Evans threw out a runner at the plate attempting to score from second.
• Wayne State capitalized on an error to start the top of the seventh, as a walk and back-to-back singles – all with two outs – led to a pair of unearned runs, 3-1.
• In the ninth, Evans reached on a fielding error and later scored on a two-out single by McClain-Banks.
• Junior
Ryan Sluk was saddled with the loss after yielding two runs (both unearned) in 2.1 innings of relief.
• Junior starter
Beau Bigam took a no-decision after allowing one run (earned) on five hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings (70 pitches).
• Bigam led the team with 13.1 innings pitched in Florida while making a pair of starts.
NEXT
• The Vulcans are idle for nearly a week before beginning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a four-game series against Pitt-Johnstown, starting on Friday, March 20, with a doubleheader at EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.