Baseball: Cal sweeps Gannon, moves into tie for PSAC West lead
California University moved into a tie for first place in the PSAC’s West Division and handed Gannon its first two losses in league play by sweeping a doubleheader from the Golden Knights, 9-7 and 13-0, Friday in Erie.
Both teams are 8-2 in the division and one game ahead of third-place Mercyhurst. Cal (15-11) and Gannon (20-7) will play another doubleheader today at Consol Energy Park.
The Vulcans used a six-run second inning and a three-run fourth to win the opener. Gannon made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh by scoring five runs. Jack Dennis was the winning pitcher with matt carter getting his fourth save.
Kristian Webb homered in Cal’s big inning and also had a double. Mick Fennell had three hits including a triple.
Cal scored 11 runs over the fourth and fifth innings in the second game. Fennell, who threw a five-hit shutout, helped his own cause by hitting a grand slam in the fourth to give the Vulcans a 6-0 lead. Levi Krause also had a home run. Fennell struck out six and issued only one walk.
Gannon entered the day with a nine-game winning streak.
• Waynesburg ended a 13-game losing streak, beating LaRoche 11-1 in the opening game of a non-conference doubleheader before losing the nightcap, 4-2.
Matt Bensinger drove in four runs in the opener, and Josh Hausler scored four times to back the pitching of Brian Resnik. Resnik, a Burgettstown graduate, allowed just five hits and no earned runs in the complete game for Waynesburg (2-15).
Cody Scruggs had a two-run double in a three-run first inning in the second game for LaRoche (15-7), which turned three inning-ending double plays and a triple play in the top of the seventh to end the contest.
• Canon-McMillan graduate Frank Fortunato homered as Washington & Jefferson defeated Geneva, 9-5, in the opening game of a Presidents’ Athletic Conference doubleheader. Nick Vento, Dan Trettel and Justin Zak had two RBI each in the nightcap as W&J won, 11-1.
Riley Groves was the winning pitcher, tossing five innings in the opener for the Presidents (3-2, 7-6). Joe Vita allowed just three hits in six innings in the nightcap to get the victory.
Geneva falls to 1-5, 6-10.