Pitt-Johnstown received a quality start from Rodney Shultz and methodically built a 5-0 advantage before hanging on late for a 5-3 win over California (Pa.) in the opener. The Mountain Cats succumbed to a pair of runs by the Vulcans in the seventh that sent them to an 8-6 defeat and a split of a PSAC West doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Point Stadium.

The Mountain Cats sit at 19-28 overall behind an 8-18 mark in the conference.

It marked the final home doubleheader of the season as well as the final pair of home games for Pitt-Johnstown head coach Todd Williams. The 27-year veteran is retiring at the end of the season after a memorable run that saw him become the all-time winningest coach in program history with 586 wins.

Williams' tenure spanned two conferences, the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and included two trips to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament in 2006 and 2008 when he guided the Mountain Cats to 37 wins, the most in a single season in program history. 

There have been 20 players bestowed the honor of All-Atlantic Region and 17 players named to an All-PSAC team under Williams' watch. He has also coached five pitchers that have competed professionally, most recently Dylan Heid and Braxton Roxby, who currently pitch for the Double-A teams of the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, respectively.

Williams, who played at Pitt-Johnstown from 1981-1984 under former coach Ken Keiper, was the third longest-tenured coach, men's or women's, at the university. Only Pitt-Johnstown Athletic Director and wrestling coach Pat Pecora and men's basketball coach Bob Rukavina have been at their respective posts for longer.

Shultz's performance on the mound helped Williams secure his final home victory. The junior, who recently spun a no-hitter in a win over Mercyhurst, threw 6.1 innings and surrendered just two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk to earn the win.

He threw six scoreless innings before running into a bit of trouble in the seventh that ended his day after 101 pitches. The Vulcans notched an unearned run on a throwing error and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs against reliever Garret Holzapfel before he induced a flyout to end the game.

Alex Glumac singled and Lucas Muffie walked to lead off the first. Two batters later, Justin Turcovski lined a two-out, two-RBI triple to right that made it 2-0.

Devon Boyles launched a home run to lead off the fourth that increased it to 3-0. After Josh Ulery singled, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch to begin the sixth, Boyles laced an RBI double to boost it to 4-0. Turcovski followed and capped the scoring when he singled home Boyles to put the Mountain Cats on top 5-0.

Each team produced 12 hits in a back-and-forth game two that wasn't decided until the final frame. The Vulcans posted an unearned run on one hit in the first. The Mountain Cats answered when Glumac led off the first with a single and later scored on Boyles' RBI bunt single.

The Mountain Cats clawed back from two separate two-run deficits in the third and sixth innings. Turcovski reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded in the third to cut the deficit to one. He created chaos rundown play that allowed Ulery to come home and tie it at 4-4.

Cal led 6-4 entering the bottom of the sixth. Aidan Steinbugl walked and Josh Reynolds singled with one out to start the Mountain Cats' sixth. Noah Donis smacked an RBI single and Glumac's groundout knotted the game at 6-all.

The Vulcans then recorded the final two runs, one via a sacrifice bunt and the other with a bunt single. Jake Kramer was the winner in relief for the Vulcans, who are now 26-18 overall and 12-14 inside the PSAC West.

Austin Hammerle started and received a no-decision after giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits in 2.1 innings. Alec Petroff was tagged with the loss after surrendering two earned runs on three hits in 1.1 innings.

Pitt-Johnstown will close the book on the 2024 season when it completes the four-game series at California (Pa.) on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. from Wild Things Park in Washington, Pa.