INDIANA, Pa. (April 24) – The California (PA) baseball team was swept in a doubleheader at IUP on Friday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play, suffering a 12-3 loss in Game 1 and 4-2 loss in Game 2.
NOTES
• The Vulcans (24-17, 12-10) have been swept in the road doubleheader by the Crimson Hawks in each of the last two years.
• IUP sits one game ahead of Cal for third place in the PSAC West standings with six league games remaining.
GAME 1
• The Crimson Hawks scored seven runs with two outs and a pair of homers accounted for five runs.
• Cal took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly and added to the lead in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by freshman second baseman
Noah Kaszer.
• The Crimson Hawks countered with four runs in the fourth behind three-straight, two-out RBI hits.
• In the fifth, IUP extended the lead to a 9-2 margin behind a two-run homer by shortstop David Kessler and a three-run homer by second baseman Teague Hoover.
• IUP scored three more runs in the sixth before sophomore first baseman
Cole Fleck belted a solo homer in the top of the seventh, 12-3.
• Fleck finished with two hits and two runs scored, while Kaszer added two hits and one RBI.
• Freshman center fielder
Charlie Nigut collected two hits and scored one run.
• Junior starting pitcher
Beau Bigam (5-4) suffered the loss after surrendering seven runs (all earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
GAME 2
• The Vulcans were limited to just four total hits in the contest.
• Cal took a 2-0 lead in the third on an RBI double by senior first
Connor Evans, who later scored on a squeeze bunt by Nigut.
• The Crimson Hawks answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run double, 2-2.
• In the fifth, IUP drew a leadoff walk before the next two batters reached on a triple and a single to take a 4-2 lead.
• Sophomore
Coleman Fletcher (3-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits in 6.0 innings.
• He set a career high with eight strikeouts while making his seventh career start.
• Evans hit leadoff for the first time this season and started at first base for only the second time.
NEXT
• The Vulcans are set to return to action tomorrow, Saturday, April 25, when they host IUP for a doubleheader on Senior Day at EQT Park at 3 p.m.
