Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
INDIANA, PA – Austin Mock (State College/State College) scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the seventh inning of game one as the IUP baseball team split with California (PA) in a Tuesday afternoon Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West doubleheader.
 
The run came at the end of a game in which both teams combined for five hits as the two starting pitchers went the distance.
 
Weed picked up the victory to improve to 2-3 on the year, striking out three and giving up just two hits and one walk in seven innings. He forced the Vulcans into four three-and-out innings, spreading out the two hits and one walk into the other three.
 
Both teams were hitless through two innings before each getting leadoff singles in the third. The Crimson Hawks got their other hits in the fourth and fifth while the Vulcans got theirs in the sixth.
 
Mock started the bottom of the seventh with what seemed like a routine fly out, but the ball would bounce off the centerfielder's glove and Mock advanced to second on the error. Jonathan O'Neill (Pittsburgh/Chartiers Valley) then moved him up to third with a sacrifice bunt. Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) was then intentionally walked to put runners at the corners, but more importantly for Cal, set up force-outs at two bases.
 
After a mound visit, the first pitch to Matt Eperesi (Cranberry Twp./Mars) was a strike. The second flew high over the left shoulder of the catcher as Mock raced home for the game-winning run.
 
Game two was a little different, with the Vulcans plating two in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead. IUP came back in the third with consecutive RBI groundouts from Chris Calliari (Brockway/Brockway) and Dylan Tice (Perkasie/Pennridge) to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
 
The teams traded runs in each of the next two innings, with Tice getting his second RBI of the game with a run-scoring double down the right field line in fifth as the Vulcans held 5-3 lead.
 
Still trailing by two in the seventh, IUP put runners at the corners with two outs but a strikeout for out number three ended the threat and the game.
 
Kyle Zambanini (Jerome/Conemaugh Twp.) picking up the loss in the start, with Zach Chinchilla (Ambridge/Quigley Catholic) entering in relief and tossing 3.1 innings of scoreless ball.
 
The Crimson Hawks improve to 12-15 overall while Cal is now 17-13. The split puts both teams at 6-8 and currently in a three-way tie for fourth in the PSAC West with Pitt-Johnstown. Cal owns the tiebreaker with IUP with three wins in the season series and the Crimson Hawks will face UPJ in a four-game set this weekend.