BUTLER, Pa. (April 30) – The California University of Pennsylvania baseball team collected 14 hits, including a pair of homers, in a 9-3 victory against Shippensburg on Thursday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament.

With the win, the Vulcans improve to 25-21 overall and advance to play an elimination game tomorrow, Friday, May 1, against Seton Hill. Meanwhile, the Raiders close the season with a 25-25 mark while being eliminated from the PSAC Tournament.
 
Cal U opened the game with a leadoff single by junior center fielder Mick Fennell (Butler, Pa./Butler). After advancing to second base on a sacrifice bunt, Fennell scored on a two-run home run by senior shortstop Matt Peters (Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby) to give the Vulcans an early 2-0 lead after the first. Shippensburg answered back in the second on an RBI double by third baseman Ryan McMillen followed by an RBI single by second baseman Nick Spangler to tie the game 2-2.
 
In the third, Fennell started off the inning with a single to center field and eventually advanced to third on a ground-out and fly-out before junior first baseman David Marcus (Whitby, Ontario/Father Leo J. Austin) blasted a home run, his 14th of the year, to right-center to put Cal U up 4-2. The two teams stayed scoreless until the fifth inning when the Vulcan offense scored its fifth run on a throwing error by the third baseman on a bunt single by sophomore right fielder Danny McGrath (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). Peters and Marcus then delivered back-to-back RBI singles to make the score 7-2. Later in the inning, junior left fielder Jared Grove (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) stole second base that allowed Peters to steal home on the throwing attempt to second. Redshirt freshman Levi Krause (East Berlin, Pa./Spring Grove) then delivered an RBI single to right field to extend the lead to 9-2.
 
Shippensburg crossed a run in the seventh on a double to left center before starting pitcher Jack Dennis (Toronto, Ontario/Birchmount Park) forced a ground-out and a pop-out to end the inning. Fennell moved to the mound to start the eighth and pitched the final two innings, allowing only one baserunner.
 
Dennis (5-1) earned the win after tossing 7.0 innings, striking out seven and allowing three runs (all earned). Raider starter Marcus Shippey (4-5) took the loss after giving up 10 hits and yielding eight runs (all earned) in 4.0-plus innings.
 
The Vulcans were led offensively by Peters and Marcus, who each belted a two-run home run. Fennell went 4-5 at the plate and scored three runs in the game while batting leadoff.
 
Cal U returns to action tomorrow with an elimination game against Seton Hill at 12:30 p.m. The Griffins suffered an 8-4 loss on Thursday against Millersville after entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the PSAC West. Seton Hill won three of the four meetings against Cal U during the regular season this spring.

PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 29
Game 1 – (W3) Slippery Rock d. (E2) West Chester, 9-9
Game 2 - (E4) East Stroudsburg d. (W1) Mercyhurst, 18-11
Game 3 - (W2) Seton Hill d. (E3) Shippensburg, 11-5
Game 4 – (E1) Millersville d. (W4) California, 8-0

Thursday, April 30
Game 5 - (W1) Mercyhurst d. (E2) West Chester, 14-2 (West Chester eliminated)
Game 6 - (W4) California d. (E3) Shippensburg, 9-3 (Shippensburg eliminated)
Game 7 - (E4) East Stroudsburg d. (W3) Slippery Rock, 13-4
Game 8 - (E1) Millersville d. (W2) Seton Hill, 8-4

Friday, May 1
Game 9 - (W1) Mercyhurst vs. (W3) Slippery Rock, 9:30 a.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 10 - (W4) California vs. (W2) Seton Hill, 12:30 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 11 - Game 9 Winner vs. (E1) Millersville, 3:30 p.m.
Game 12 - Game 10 Winner vs. (E4) East Stroudsburg, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 2 -- ** depends on number of teams remaining **
IF THREE GAMES ARE NEEDED
Game 13 - Rematch of Game 11, 10 a.m.
Game 14 - Rematch of Game 12, 1 p.m.
Game 15 - Championship Game, 4 p.m.

IF TWO GAMES ARE NEEDED
Game 13 - IF Game, 11 a.m.
Game 14 - Championship Game, 2 p.m.

IF ONE GAME IS NEEDED
Game 13 - Championship Game, 12 p.m.