California (PA) took Sunday's PSAC West baseball opener, 10-2, at Wild Things Park in Washington, before completing the sweep of the Mountain Cats with a 5-1 victory in the nightcap. Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 15-30 overall and 8-16 in conference-play.
In game one, California (PA) struck for three runs in the bottom of the second off of Pitt-Johnstown starter
Austin Hammerle, before the Vulcans added four unearned runs in the third, including Peyton Conte's three-run double, to push it out to 7-0.
California (PA) scored one more in the fourth off of
Garrett Holzapfel and two more in the fifth on Santino Marra's two-run homer.
Pitt-Johnstown cut it to 10-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.
Josh Ulery scored on a one-out bases loaded walk to
Evan Beach, and
Mario Disso's ground out chased home
Asher Corl.
Dylan Broderick went 2-for-4, while
Garrett Prosper doubled and
Erik Rhodes had a base hit for the Mountain Cats.
Hammerle suffered the loss and dropped to 0-3 after allowing seven runs, but just two earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings. Hammerle also struck out one and walked one.
In game two, Justin Stewart's two-out RBI single off of
Ben Tomb in bottom of the first put the Vulcans on top, and two unearned runs in the second made it 3-0.
Two more runs in the fifth off of Pitt-Johnstown reliever
Luke Schrock extended the lead to 5-0.
Pitt-Johnstown put runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh, and
Lucas McClain delivered a single through the right side to score
Josh Reynolds, but that was as close as the Mountain Cats would get.
Vulcans' starter Dylan Mathieson limited Pitt-Johnstown to just one hit, an
Alex Glumac single to start the third inning, inn six innings to earn the win.
Along with Glumac's base hit, McClain had an RBI single, and Prosper had a base it for the Mountain Cats.
Tomb suffered the loss and fell to 2-4. Tomb gave up three runs (1 earned) on five hits in four innings.
With the sweep, California (PA) improved to 24-19 overall and 11-13 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown are scheduled to visit Bloomsburg for a non-conference game on Tuesday, before opening a four-game PSAC West series against Slippery Rock, with a doubleheader Thursday afternoon at Point Stadium. Game times are scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.
