Casey Long Shatters Homerun Records in Mountain Cat Sweep Over Concord

04/14/2006

Senior first baseman Casey Long (Johnstown, Pa.) hammered a two-run homerun and a grand slam to break Rick Baxter's school records for homers in a season and a career to help lead the Mountain Cats to a 2-1 and 8-1 doubleheader sweep over visiting Concord (WV) University on Friday at George R. Walter Field. Pitt Johnstown extended it winning streak to five games and improved to 24-12.
In game one, senior right hander Brian Chruscial (Irwin, Pa.) gave up on run and four hits in a complete-game effort to raise his record to 3-2. Chruscial also struckout two and walked none. Chris Turka (Natrona Heights, Pa.) and Adam Plummer (Bellwood, Pa.) each collected two hits, while Long added a single and an RBI.
In game two, Pitt Johnstown jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning, highlighted by Long's two-run record-breaking homer to right center field. Long's homerun broke Baxter's single season record of 13 homers set in 2002, as well as Baxter's career homerun mark of 35. However, Long wasn't finished. With Pitt Johnstown holding the 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, Long stepped to the plate and blasted a grand slam over the left field fence to finish the game with a pair of homeruns and six RBI's Matt Hanley (Delmont, Pa.), Josh Farabaugh (Altoona, Pa.) and Plummer all had two hits, while Josh Mearkle (Everett, Pa.) and Plummer drove in the other two Mountain Cat runs in the 8-1 win. Sophomore right hander David Huey (Glen Campbell, Pa.) followed Chruscial's complete-game with one of his own. Huey gave up one run, scattered five hits and struckout three in seven innings of work to improve to 5-0.
Following the sweep, Concord fell to 18-15 on the season.
The Mountain Cats host doubleheaders against Davis & Elkins (WV) College on Tuesday and West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday, before traveling to Slippery Rock University on Thursday. All three doubleheaders will start at 1:00 p.m.

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